Health Board Continues Research Payments Amidst Criticism
An internal report flagged concerns over patient benefit from a long-standing agreement with a university, yet payments persist.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is continuing to allocate funds to a university research center despite an internal report criticizing the value and direct patient benefit of the payments. The health board was scheduled to pay Bangor University £110,686 this fiscal year to support two researchers at the Centre for Mental Health and Society.
An NHS internal report from January stated that it was "unclear what services the health board are receiving and paying for, and how beneficial it is to the population of north Wales." The report also noted that by September 2025, over £4 million in NHS funds would have been paid to the university under an agreement established in 2012. The health board acknowledged the concerns and stated it was working on improvements in its collaborations with universities and research institutions.
The health and social care watchdog Llais has expressed that the concerns are not being addressed with sufficient urgency. Geoff Ryall-Harvey, regional director for North Wales at Llais, questioned the lack of review of the agreement, emphasizing the need for health boards to ensure they receive best value for limited NHS funds and that research is locally relevant.
The Centre for Mental Health and Society, based in Wrexham and utilizing office space provided by the health board, focuses on research into topics such as students' experiences in prison, mental health outcomes, and opiate use in primary care. Teresa Owen, Interim Deputy CEO, highlighted that research, development, and innovation are important for university health boards and that the board maintains positive relationships with academic institutions. She added that the health board recognizes the importance of governance in research collaborations and is undertaking an external review of its RDI function to strengthen oversight.
Both the NHS and Bangor University have reviewed the agreement and found no evidence of fraud or misconduct. A spokesperson for Bangor University stated that the Centre for Mental Health and Society conducts research intended to directly improve mental well-being and care, and that the university is committed to working constructively with the health board.