Senedd members have rejected calls for a public inquiry ahead of the 10-year anniversary of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board going into special measures.

Clwyd MS Gareth Davies led a Conservative debate calling for the inquiry, warning that the health board remains mired in systemic failure, “with no clear timeline for recovery”.

He said: “A decade on, the Welsh Government has acknowledged that Betsi could languish in this state indefinitely. This is not just a failure of management, it’s a failure of accountability, leadership and political will under Labour’s stewardship.”

The Vale of Clwyd Senedd member argued a public inquiry is needed to uncover the root causes of the prolonged crisis and deliver justice for the people of north Wales.

“The evidence is damning,” he said.

“When combined, Betsi has spent longer in special measures than any other organisation in the history of the NHS.

“Political expediency saw the Welsh Government prematurely lift Betsi out of special measures – only for dire realities, safety breaches, patient harm and operational chaos to force its reinstatement back in 2023.”

Mr Davies told the Senedd only two people were waiting longer than two years for treatment in June 2015, compared with 5,747 today – “a staggering 287,250 per cent increase”.

Dwyfor Meirionnydd MS Mabon ap Gwynfor denounced a long story of “chronic failure, executive dysfunction and organisational chaos that has bedevilled the north Wales health board”.

He pointed out that Betsi, which was established in 2009 with the merger of six local health boards, has been in special measures for two-thirds of its existence.

Mr ap Gwynfor said: “What the residents of north Wales are really crying out for is an end to the excuse making and the buck passing, and some tangible evidence of progress.”

He sympathised with calls for a public inquiry but argued it would not be the best course of action at this stage due to practical considerations.

He criticised the “shameful” decision and “political opportunism” from ministers who lifted the health board out of special measures in late 2020, with a Senedd election on the horizon.

Labour’s Carolyn Thomas and Lesley Griffiths argued Wales needs to start celebrating what is good about our health service, with many people receiving fantastic treatment.

“I refuse to talk down our wonderful NHS,” said Ms Thomas. “If politicians continue to talk down the health board it will continue to struggle to recruit people: the NHS is its staff.”

Responding to the debate on 4 June, Wales’ health secretary Jeremy Miles told the Senedd the health board is making sustainable improvement for better health outcomes.

He raised “significant improvements” in leadership, quality and safety in the past two years.

But Mr Miles acknowledged: “We must see urgent improvements if we are to meet our ambitious plans to continue to cut waiting times for people this year.”

Senedd members rejected the Tory motion, 33-13, with Labour and Plaid Cymru voting against. The Welsh Government’s amended version was agreed, 24-23.