£17m NHS Wales pay-offs 'should be rare,' says Jonathan Morgan
The Welsh NHS has spent more than £17m on payouts to employees which include confidentiality clauses, over the past four years.
Figures obtained by BBC Wales show that more than half the 612 agreements issued in Wales came from Betsi Cadwaladar health board which covers north Wales.
The agreements can stop former employees from speaking about the details of their employment.
Ten years ago the NHS in Wales issued guidance saying they should only be used on rare occasions.
Jonathan Morgan, an independent health consultant and a former AM who chaired the Welsh assembly's health committee, said such clauses should only be used rarely in the NHS.