Chief executive of failing health board leaves for new job in England

The boss of Wales' largest and most troubled health board is leaving her post for one in England.

Carol Shillabeer became the chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board - which has spent nine years in special measures - in May 2023.

The health board covers all of north Wales, and has been under the highest level of oversight due to concerns about care quality, patient safety and leadership.

Shillabeer will join Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust in north west England as their chief executive in the new year.

The Welsh government said matters of personnel and employment were for the health board but it continued to hold it to account for its performance.

When she took on the job Shillabeer said she knew she had taken on one of the toughest jobs in the NHS, if not the whole of Wales.

She was appointed after the Welsh government put Betsi into "special measures" for the second time in its history.

Eleven independent board members were forced to resign and, shortly after, Shillabeer was drafted in from the neighbouring Powys health board.

Her departure comes months after Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) visited the emergency department at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Denbighshire, in May, and said it needed "significant improvements".

A follow-up in August found progress had been made but challenges remained and "enhanced oversight" of the department was still needed.

At the time Shillabeer apologised "unreservedly" and said improving care was a priority.

Earlier this year, the health board was given a "final chance" to improve.

Since 2013 there have been a number of highly critical reports into the health board, with it being placed in special measures in 2015 for the first time.

On many key NHS performance figures, Betsi Cadwaladr health board continues to be Wales' worst performer.

Shillabeer said it had been "an enormous privilege" and she was "very proud of what colleagues across the organisation have achieved during an extremely demanding period".

Dyfed Edwards, chair of the health board, congratulated Shillabeer and said she joined "at an exceptionally challenging point" and "provided committed and determined leadership over the past three and a half years.

"Considerable work remains to be done and we are very clear that our improvement journey continues," he said.

The health board said it would announce interim and longer-term leadership arrangements "in due course".

Having previously called for her resignation, Conservative leader in Wales, Darren Millar, said Shillabeer had failed to address NHS failures in the region or improve performance.

He said: "The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board needs a competent chief executive with the ability to get to grips with the failings of the NHS in North Wales and turn poor performance around.

"Sadly, Carol Shillabeer was not able to do that job."