Following a damning report into their vascular services, Betsi Cadwaldr have appointed a new indepenent chair of their Vascular Quality Panel.

Susan Aitkenhead has been appointed as the independent chair of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s panel, which has been set up by the Board in response to the findings contained in a review of its Vascular service.

The review was conducted by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS).

A review of the region’s Vascular service, delivered in two parts, was commissioned by the Board in response to feedback from both patients and North Wales Community Health Council.

There were nine recommendations - five of them urgent - contained within the second part of the study, which looked at patient case notes.

In response Board chair Mark Polin said it was time to accelerate the rate of improvement within the service.

To ensure rigorous oversight of the process he has appointed Ms Aitkenhead as independent chair of the Vascular Quality Panel.

Susan Aitkenhead has held previous executive roles at board level both within the UK and overseas and taken a variety of national policy roles.

Ms Aitkenhead has worked at the Department of Health, providing advice and support to ministers and officials across central government departments, at NHS England and NHS Improvement, where she was Deputy chief nursing officer - and in professional regulation at the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

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Mr Polin said: “It is vitally important the North Wales public has confidence in our vascular services. In setting up this independently chaired panel to oversee the work we are doing, I intend to give those who use the service and our wider public that confidence.

“Everyone within the health board is committed to providing excellent care. In making such a high calibre appointment as Susan Aitkenhead, to oversee and quality check the work we are doing within vascular services, I believe our public can be assured we are serious about that commitment.

“We never forget we are here to serve the public of North Wales and I’m committed to seeing our health board provides them an excellent vascular service.”