Clwyd West MS Darren Millar has slammed the Welsh Government for failing to provide Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) with a fair share of the additional £100m it announced for health boards across Wales earlier today.

The new Health Minister for Wales, Eluned Morgan MS, has said that of the £100m worth of investment across the nation's health boards, BCUHB will receive £20m.

However, with North Wales having 22.2% of the entire population of Wales and a higher proportion of elderly residents, Darren is calling for BCUHB to be allocated more.

He said:

“£20 million may sound like a lot of money, but given the number of residents Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board covers, this is just a drop in the ocean and is at least £2.2 million short.

“In allocating this funding, the Health Minister has paid no regard whatsoever to this or the fact that North Wales has a substantially larger number of elderly residents than other parts of Wales, which places additional pressures on the health service.

“Just two weeks on from the election and once again North Wales is being short-changed by the Labour Welsh Government.

“It was revealed earlier this week that 40,000 people in North Wales have been waiting over a year for treatment. The health board has no chance of addressing this backlog and giving patients in North Wales the service and treatment they deserve without fair and adequate funding.”