Drakeford accused of misleading Senedd over Betsi Cadwaladr health board

Mark Drakeford's account is disputed by Plaid Cymru

First Minister Mark Drakeford is facing accusations he misled the Senedd over comments he made about north Wales health board, Betsi Cadwaladr.

Mr Drakeford told the Senedd in February that public spending watchdog Audit Wales advised that the board should leave special measures in 2020.

Plaid Cymru called for him to set the record straight after Audit Wales said its officials did not give such advice.

The Welsh government said Mr Drakeford had been "clear" to the Senedd.

The troubled Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board returned to special measures in February after a string of failings, including on vascular and emergency services.

A damning report had heavily criticised the way it was run at the top.

The board had been taken out of special measures in 2020, in a move that was heavily criticised by opposition politicians at the time.

It is the highest level of government oversight Welsh ministers can impose when trying to fix problems in the NHS.

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In the Senedd the day after the board returned to special measures, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price, said the Welsh government's decision in 2020 was "reckless" and "premature" and suggested it was taken with "an election looming".

In response Mr Drakeford said the suggestion was a "disgraceful charge" and referred to the boss of Audit Wales, Auditor General Adrian Crompton.

He said: "The decision, and it is a decision of ministers, to take the board out of special measures was because we were advised that that is what we should do by the auditor general, by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and by Welsh government officials whose job it is to provide ministers with the advice."

Adrian Crompton told Mr Price by letter that his organisation had not given such advice.

Replying to a request for clarification from Mr Price, Mr Crompton said: "In response to your specific question on whether there was advice from me or my staff to the minister to de-escalate the health board from special measures at that time, I can be very clear, there was not."

He explained that Audit Wales shares findings and intelligence from its work through the process that informs Welsh government officials, who advise ministers.

However he did say that in discussions Audit Wales staff did recognise that "after five years the special measures 'label' itself was increasingly becoming a hindrance to improvement at the health board given its negative effect on crucial areas such as external recruitment, internal engagement, and staff morale".

'There needs to be a clarification'

Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid health spokesman, said: "One of two things had happened: either the first minister has purposefully misled the Senedd or he had done so unknowingly and he has misspoken.

"Either way the result is that there needs to be a clarification on the record."

Plaid Cymru also pointed to similar remarks by the former Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, in 2020.

Mr ap Iorwerth added: "I am accusing Welsh government of having misled the Senedd and giving them the opportunity in a very clean way to set the record straight."

A Welsh government spokesperson did not address the issue of correcting the record in their response to BBC Wales.

He said: "The first minister was clear to the Senedd that decisions around the escalation status of the health board were taken by ministers alone, on the basis of advice provided by Welsh government officials.

"This advice was directly informed by an established process including Audit Wales and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales."