Betsi Cadwaladr to Pay Bangor £110,686 After Audit — SkimNews
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- Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board was due to pay Bangor University £110,686 this financial year to fund two researchers at the Centre for Mental Health and Society, months after the January report questioned direct patient benefit.
- Bangor University entered a five-year agreement with the health board in 2012, but the contract was not reviewed and was allowed to continue.
- NHS reported that more than £4m in NHS money had been paid to the university by September 2025, adding that the health board could not demonstrate it had received value for money from the agreement.
- Llais said the concerns were still not being acted on fast enough; regional director Geoff Ryall-Harvey called for a serious review of what the £110,000 bought, saying limited NHS money must produce best value.
- Teresa Owen said the health board was addressing the concerns and commissioning an external review of its research, development and innovation function to inform stronger governance.
- Centre for Mental Health and Society listed its current topics as students' experience in prison, mental health outcomes and opiate use in primary care, while Bangor University described the centre's work as directly applicable to mental well-being and care.
- NHS and Bangor University both reviewed the agreement and said there was no evidence of fraud or misconduct in how it was set up or operated.
Why it matters: Limited NHS money is the material issue for north Wales patients: Betsi Cadwaladr is due to pay £110,686 although an internal report says it cannot demonstrate value after more than £4m was paid to Bangor University. Llais says the response is too slow; the board has commissioned an external review of its research, development and innovation function.
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