I thank the Member for his comments with some questions provided, as well. I'll start with your final point about Ockenden 2, and no, I have not had sight of it; I'm making clear that I expect the health board to take seriously the report on reviewing and improving its governance and to deliver a real-time plan for improvement. I think it's entirely appropriate, because we expect that report to be provided this summer, for the health board to receive it and promptly deal with it, and for there to be a public board meeting at which they will set out their action plan in response to that.

The starting point, though, is that there is no cause for celebration that we approach the third anniversary of Betsi Cadwaladr university health board being in special measures. There is no hiding from the fact that it is not a cause for celebration that we are having this conversation at this point in time. I don't try to hide from the disappointment and from the way that staff will feel. It's not the situation that any staff want to be in, to continue going to work in an organisation that is labelled as being in special measures. That does not mean that every area of healthcare fails—far from it. There is real excellence—not just commitment from staff, but real excellence in the delivery of a wide range of healthcare services. The balance, though, is that we recognise there are still services within Betsi Cadwaladr that do need to improve significantly.

On primary care, one of the reasons why it went into special measures was in particular about out of hours, and I'm hopeful that we will see an improvement in primary care out-of-hours services during this next period of the improvement framework, and for that to be lifted out of special measures. The broader points you mentioned about those GP practices that have returned their contracts are part of a broader move across, not just Wales, but across the rest of the UK, and I don't think it's fair to label that change and the difficulty in managing that move as being part of the special measures arrangements. North Wales, just like other parts of Wales, have that challenge to manage, and that goes into other work that we have discussed in the Chamber, and I'm sure we will again—not just a new way to deliver local healthcare with the right numbers of doctors and other clinical members of staff, but how to organise those services to make it more attractive. For example, just before recess, we spoke about the challenges of indemnity and being able to move forward on that would make a really big difference right across the country, but, in particular, in north Wales too. About having the workforce being retained in different roles, whether they're staying in the profession or entering the profession, that would certainly help in out-of-hours arrangements too.

On the challenges you raise about financial management, and the challenges that the health board have with financial management, are not a special measures issue, but they're part of an increase in escalation and intervention. It is a point of real disappointment that they have not been able to deliver improvements in financial management, but I simply don't accept the point you attempt to make about the clawback on money for planned care improvements. We have done exactly as we have done with every other health board, in providing additional money from the £50 million improvement fund we have provided to NHS Wales; on having agreements about improvement to be delivered; and needing to reach those targets or not all of the money would be retained within that organisation. And it's exactly as we have done in other organisations this year and last year. They retained £10 million because they did reach a 45 per cent improvement in the 36-week waiters from the high point of December 2017. But we can't simply say, 'Have this money to improve and it matters not whether you reach that improvement or not, and we will treat you in an entirely different way in that regard to other health boards across Wales.'

In terms of the improvement I expect to see happen, as well as setting out an 18-month framework, I have been very clear that I expect to see continued improvement in unscheduled care, with the additional— . Not just resource in financial terms, but the support being provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers. And indeed, in my most recent visit to north Wales, I met with staff in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd who were talking about the way in which that was helping them to look again at what they were doing, and actually there were improvements in the way they felt they were working as a team. Meeting front-line nurses, alongside their consultant colleagues, was a very constructive and positive conversation, alongside the recognition they themselves want to deliver better care, and that would improve the working environment for them. So, they themselves recognise some improvement is taking place. They also recognise there is more to go, and part of our challenge is how challenging we are in holding them to account, as well as being supportive of the job that front-line staff do. But I certainly expect to see improvements in quarter 1 and quarter 2 of this financial year. I do not expect the health board to recede backwards, having reached an improvement at the end of the last financial and performance year to March 2018, to fall significantly backwards at the end of the first quarter. That would not be an acceptable position for the health board to be in. Part of the challenge is that they do have real problems in the significant rise in long waiters that took place over the last financial year. That was part of the reason why not only escalation arrangements changed, but there is now a heightened level of direct accountability with the chair and chief exec. That will continue until there is real and sustained improvement, and I make no apology for that.

I also want to reiterate and deal with your point on complaints management. I expect Assembly Members do get a postbag that talks about where complaints have not been well handled. That will always be the case. As an individual constituency Member, I get those complaints too, in my area. But actually, objectively, we definitely have seen an improvement in complaint management. That does not mean that everything is perfect, but it is absolutely in a better position than it was previously, and the executive director of nursing deserves real credit for her leadership in delivering some of that improvement, together with the team.

So, I expect improvements to take place over the 18-month framework that we've announced. I expect there to be more to say once the new chair is in place and we've recruited additional people, but also that the turnaround function, which I am—. I recognise the Member's frustration. I can assure you that I am frustrated myself that it's taken so long, having agreed to have a turnaround director, for that person to be in place with a team. That is also why, in my statement, I have outlined the additional steps that we will take to ensure that that turnaround function is actually in place, with greater operational grip within the organisation. 

So, there are no places to hide and no attempt to hide from the position that the health board is currently in. I recognise the progress and real progress that has been made, and also I recognise the further progress that is absolutely required because the staff of the health board and the people of north Wales deserve nothing less.