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Many Betsi Cadwaladr hospital buildings may be 'risk to patients'

BBC Glan Clwyd HospitalBBC
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board says £348m is needed to bring buildings up to standard

Only 62% of buildings owned by a troubled Welsh health board are "operationally safe," a report has revealed.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) owns 238 properties across north Wales.

The figure compares to a Wales average of 72%, also below the 90% target.

The report said: "There is a risk that failure to provide a safe and compliant built environment could result in avoidable harm to patients and staff."

The board said it costs £73m every year to run all its properties, the oldest of which is Denbigh Infirmary, built in 1813.

However it predicts more than £348m needs to be spent to bring those buildings up to an acceptable standard due to a backlog in maintenance work.

At Abergele Hospital, only 15% of the building meets health and safety standards, according to the report, which will be discussed by health board members on Thursday.

graph showing various figures from the health board
In this graphic by Betsi Cadwaladr UHB, GIA stands for gross internal area

Of particular concern are the board's three acute hospitals: Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan and Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

Ysbyty Gwynedd faces the biggest backlog where "a significant percentage of occupied floor area" is unsuitable and does not meet statutory requirements.

The same concerns apply to Wrexham Maelor, where the design and layout also "presents infection prevention and control risks".

Among the priorities at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, where the backlog in work is estimated at £37m, is upgrading the electrics.

Rhyl's Royal Alexandra Hospital and Bryn y Neuadd Hospital in Llanfairfechan, Conwy, also require millions spent on them.

A graphic showing the area of Wales covered by Betsi Cadwaladr health board
Betsi Cadwaladr health board has 700,000 people living in its area
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"Our estate is facing significant risks and challenges and severe limitations on expected future funding," the BCUHB report stated.

"The current estate is not sustainable or viable in the long term and will not support the implementation of key BCUHB strategies and is a significant risk to the board

"On average, physical condition and statutory compliance of the estate has got worse since the 2019 Estate Strategy.

"In particular, the Abergele Hospital, Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Royal Alexandra Hospital, and Ysbyty Gwynedd sites are in poor condition with low levels of compliance."

The report concluded: "There is a risk that failure to provide a safe and compliant built environment will adversely impact on the health board's ability to implement safe and sustainable services and could result in avoidable harm to patients, staff, public, reputational damage and litigation."