Some Betsi health board executives may go, first minister says

Some of the executives running Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board may leave in the future, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said.

The north Wales health board was recently put back into special measures for a second time.

Mr Drakeford said there would be a "proper process".

Meanwhile the first minister said that the government did not entirely agree with a motion it voted for criticising its roads review.

The Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan was criticised after she forced the independent board of Betsi Cadwaladr to resign.

Former members of the board questioned the focus on them after a damning audit report called the executive team dysfunctional.

Executives are responsible for the day-to-day operation of health services, while independent board members are there to scrutinise the executives' decisions.

Speaking to BBC One's Politics Wales programme from party conference in Llandudno, Mr Drakeford it was not for him to say the executives should be sacked.

"In the law, those people are employees not of the Welsh government, but the board."

Asked if he had confidence in the executives, he said: "It may be that not everybody who is there today will be part of the future of the board.

"But there is a proper process, those people have rights. It ought to be worked out in line with the way people are treated respectfully in Wales."

Mr Drakeford's comments come days after his government supported a Senedd motion that regretted the lack of public engagement in the roads review which saw most big road projects scrapped.

Despite having voted for it the first minister said the government did not agree with everything in the motion.

The thrust of the motion, which had been amended by Plaid Cymru, "we felt we could sign up to", the Welsh Labour leader said.

"It doesn't mean that every single comma and every single phrase is accepted by the government."

He added: "There is more engagement there than I think people have recognised."

Mr Drakeford said the roads review panel would write to all Senedd members setting out the engagement that did lie behind the report they produced.

"When it now comes to the specific roads programmes that will flow from the review, that's when the bulk of public consultation takes place."

On Saturday Mr Drakeford said his grief over the loss of his wife will not stop him working for Labour.

He thanked those who showed him kindness after his wife Clare died in January.

You can see more of Mr Drakeford's interview on BBC One Wales on Sunday at 10:00, and later on iPlayer.