The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is continuing to fund two researchers at Bangor University’s Centre for Mental Health and Society despite an internal review concluding that the health board cannot demonstrate it is receiving value for money from the arrangement.
Payments continue despite questions over patient benefit
Figures show the health board was due to pay Bangor University £110,686 in the current financial year to fund two posts at the centre. An internal NHS report, written in January, said it was unclear what services the health board was receiving and how beneficial they were to the population of north Wales.
The five‑year agreement between the health board and Bangor University began in 2012 but, according to the report, was not subject to a timely review and was allowed to continue. By September 2025, the health board had paid more than £4 million to the university under the arrangement, the document said.
Calls for clarity and local relevance
Stakeholders and local critics have pressed the health board for a clearer demonstration of how research spending translates into improvements in services or patient outcomes. Geoff Ryall‑Harvey, regional director for North Wales, criticised the pace of action and urged a formal examination of what the funding delivers.
"I would have expected a serious sit down and look at what was being bought with that money to decide whether the agreement should continue," said Geoff Ryall‑Harvey. "NHS money is limited, and health boards have to get best value for money out of that."
The watchdog Llais said concerns identified in the internal review had not been addressed quickly enough. The health board told BBC News it was taking steps to respond to the report and to improve how it works with universities and research institutions.
Research topics and operational arrangements
The Centre for Mental Health and Society is part of Bangor University but operates from offices in Wrexham that belong to the health board. The health board confirmed current research topics include:
- students' experience in prison
- mental health outcomes
- opiate use in primary care
Teresa Owen, interim deputy chief executive of the health board, said research, development and evaluation work continued to be a priority as the board sought to align academic activity with service needs.
Transparency and evidence of impact
The dispute highlights a broader challenge for the NHS nationally: ensuring that collaborations with universities deliver measurable improvements for patients and demonstrable value for public money. Peer‑reviewed literature routinely emphasises the potential for academic research to improve care pathways and outcomes, but it also notes that translation of findings into practice can be slow and uneven unless governance, local priorities and evaluation are explicit.
In this case the internal report’s finding — that the health board cannot demonstrate value for money — is a specific red flag for commissioners and accountable officers. A robust response would typically include a clear audit of outputs, mapping of research projects to local priorities and an assessment of implementation or service change that has occurred as a result of the funded posts.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Payment due this financial year | £110,686 |
| Total paid by Sept 2025 | Over £4,000,000 |
Officials will be watched closely as they pursue remedial action. While academic partnerships are important for innovation and long‑term improvement in health services, commissioners must be able to show that the public funds invested translate into tangible benefits for patients in their communities.
Any further reviews should set out clear performance indicators and reporting timelines, and assure the public that research activity is aligned with the pressing health needs of north Wales.
