
Shadow Counsel General Mark Isherwood MS has raised in the Senedd Coroner’s concerns regarding the care patients in North Wales are receiving and asked the Counsel General what advice he is giving the Welsh Government to deal with the matter, given that calls are being made for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to be the subject of a Public Inquiry.
Wales' seven Health Boards were handed a total of 46 ‘prevention of future deaths reports’ (PFDs), from January 2023 to April this year, with Betsi Cadwaladr the recipient of 28 - four times the number of any other Welsh Health Board.
In yesterday’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood raised with the Counsel General the 28 “Prevention of Future Deaths Reports” relating to North Wales over a 16-month period and referred to the ITV Wales report on the matter.
He said:
“North Wales Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is facing calls to be the subject of a public inquiry after 28 ‘prevention of future deaths reports’ were recorded over a 16-month period, more than the combined number handed to the other six Welsh Health Boards. A special ITV Wales report reveals the scale of coroners' concerns about the care people receive from this Health Board before their deaths, with a bereaved husband warning the recorded number of ‘Prevention of Future Deaths reports’ could be the ‘tip of the iceberg’.
“As you're aware, a Prevention of Future Deaths report can be issued by a Coroner if they have concerns about the circumstances in which someone died, and if it appears there is a risk of other deaths occurring. A public inquiry would build confidence back into the system and help make improvements to long-standing issues. In the interests of ‘public concern’, what advice would you therefore give to the Welsh Government regarding this?
Responding, the Counsel General said:
“Of course, the coroner's service is a reserved service; it's something I believe should be devolved. But all the other areas that you have actually raised should be directed to the appropriate Cabinet Secretary.”
Responding, Mr Isherwood said:
“I'm very concerned, as Counsel General, you won't share the advice that you will inevitably have given or be asked to give to Welsh Government Ministers on these matters.”
Speaking afterwards, after also raising calls for Public Inquiries on two other matters, Mr Isherwood added:
“In his response, the Counsel General failed to deny that he would have a key overall role to play on these vital issues of public concern and his reluctance to engage on them is therefore extremely worrying.
“It seems that the chickens are coming home to roost in flocks, where actions have consequences and even Labour Welsh Government must face the repercussions of their decisions over 25-years.”