Wrexham & Clwyd South MPs call for police investigation into Health Board ‘accounting scandal’

Local MPs are, along with a wider group of North Wales Conservative MPs, calling for an urgent police investigation into Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.

As we have previously reported, it has been claimed in the Senedd that an unreleased health board report ‘seems to suggest corporate financial misreporting fraud’. ‌ ​‌‌‌‌​​

Leaked copies of the report are widely circulating, with the Daily Mail referring to it “spanning 95 gruesome pages” and cites internal communications that themselves say things like ‘this email trail is damming’.

The North Wales Group of Conservative MPs – made up of Sarah Atherton MP (Wrexham), Simon Baynes MP (Clwyd South), Virginia Crosbie MP (Ynys Môn), James Davies MP (Vale of Clwyd), David Jones MP (Clwyd West) and Robin Millar MP (Aberconwy) – say, “The newspaper report reveals that senior executives of the Board apparently conspired to falsify accounts, altered documents and made misleading statements to Board members and Welsh Government and Audit Wales officials. Almost all the executives involved are still employed by the Board and are drawing salaries of up to six-figure.”

Speaking on behalf of the Group, Clwyd West MP, David Jones, said: “The Mail report reveals a disturbing level of apparent dishonesty on the part of Board executives, most of whom are still in post. There is good reason to believe that they are guilty of conspiring to falsify accounts and of misconduct in public office. These are very serious matters and something the police should now take up.

“The people of North Wales have long been dissatisfied with the provision of healthcare services by BCUHB and will be hugely concerned by the Mail’s investigations and a report that appears to have been suppressed.

“What is even worse is the apparent scapegoating of independent Board members, who commissioned the report by EY as a consequence of their concerns about the executives’ action, but were effectively dismissed by the Welsh health minister, Eluned Morgan for their trouble.

“The Welsh Government’s First Minister, Mark Drakeford, should offer them a full and immediate apology. It was no way to treat decent people who displayed a strong public-spirited ethos.”

North Wales Police Detective Chief Superintendent Gareth Evans said: “We are aware of media reports regarding financial matters at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and have also had concerns raised with us by individuals. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We are liaising with colleagues in other agencies regarding enquiries already undertaken in order to make an assessment and will issue an update in due course.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​