Building Safety at the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:36 pm on 7 February 2023.

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Photo of Janet Finch-Saunders Janet Finch-Saunders Conservative 1:36, 7 February 2023

Thank you, Trefnydd. Now, shockingly, some 74 per cent of the buildings owned by this board comply with statutory health and safety requirements, only 64 per cent comply with relevant statutory fire safety requirements, and only 62 per cent are operationally safe. And that's a very worrying concern for my constituents and also patients across north Wales. At Ysbyty Gwynedd, the design and layout actually presents infection prevention and control risks. The hospital that you're directly supporting, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, now has a maintenance backlog of £37 million. And Bryn y Neuadd, in Llanfairfechan, has a backlog of £27.7 million, and 70 per cent of its occupied floor area recorded as 'not functionally suitable'. And that particular hospital has some very, very vulnerable patients there. They deserve better.

Now, the health board's estate strategy states that,

'physical condition and statutory compliance of the estate has got worse since the 2019 Estate Strategy'.

Now, whilst I'd like clarity as to what financial assistance you will be providing, this is simply not a good state of affairs for a health board that swings from one crisis, or one scandal or story, week by week. Now, at some stage, when are you going to actually look at the management of this health board? And, actually, in something like this, if I was responsible for the maintenance and the upkeep of buildings in a managerial position, I would be expecting some kind of repercussion to come from such a poor report. So, what steps are you taking, Trefnydd, to make sure that my constituents, and other patients across north Wales—