AN OPEN letter has been sent out to politicians by the health board with the aim of "addressing concerns" following the publication of a report into Tawel Fan ward.

Relatives of family members who had been on the now closed ward, located in the Ablett psychiatric unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital, said they had been left with "more questions that answers" after an independent review of the care provided on Tawel Fan rejected claims of institutional abuse or neglect.

The latest probe was carried out by the Health and Social Care Advisory Service (HASCAS).

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) have now penned an open letter to MPs and AMs in an attempt to address worries which have come to light following the publication.

The letter from Gary Doherty, Betsi Cadwaladr chief executive, stated: "You will appreciate that since the publication of the report on the May 3 2018, there has been considerable media coverage and other commentary.

"Unfortunately, some coverage has included comments that the health board either knows to be untrue or feels to be misleading."

There are 11 areas of concern which the health board have responded to, including - comments made on professional standing and independence of HASCAS; criticism that HASCAS only reviewed medical records/did not contact some families and did not engage with AMs; failure to lockdown clinical records on the closure of Tawel Fan ward; that records may have been tampered with and that the report concentrates on the positive findings and not the negative findings.

On the day the report was published, Dr Androulla Johnstone, author of the HASCAS report, said: "The panel concludes that while on occasions care and treatment across the pathway was compromised the standards of care on Tawel Fan ward were of a good overall general standard and there is no evidence to support earlier findings that patients suffered from deliberate abuse or wilful neglect.

"It is essential that this conclusion is made in the clearest and most unambiguous of terms in order to restore public confidence. Failings in care cannot automatically be equated to abuse."