Powys health board meetings will not go live online until September

It had been expected that a meeting of the board on Wednesday, July 29, would be shown online.

While board members and support staff logged in to their Skype meeting,members of the public were left to watch a live twitter feed from the meeting by PTHB assistant director for communications and engagement, Adrian Osborne.

He was asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service where the link was to watch the meeting?

Mr Osborne said:  “We are not quite there yet with the technology for a livestream today.

“But we will be publishing a video of the full meeting as soon as possible after today’s meeting.”

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, PTHB had resorted to meetings by remote attendance, but this has meant that the press and public are unable to watch the deliberations.

The board took decision had been taken at a meeting on May 27 to allow their meetings to be stream online.

It was part of a number of measures for “Maintaining Good Governance Arrangements” during the coronavirus crisis, put to the members by board secretary, Rani Mallison.

PTHB said: “The board is expediting plans to enable its meetings to be made available to the public via live streaming.

“In addition, the board will publish a summary of meetings held on the health board’s website within ten days of the meeting to promote openness and transparency.”

Since April 22 ,the Local Authorities (Coronavirus) (Meetings) (Wales) Regulations 2020 has been in force.

This makes changes to the Local Government Act Wales allowing meetings to take place by remote attendance.

But there is no reference to Welsh health boards in the new guidelines

Powys County Council re-started holding public meetings by remote attendance in May.

Meetings of other health boards, including Betsi Cadwaladr University Health board and Aneurin Bevan Univeristy Health Board have been available to view on YouTube.

The next board meeting is due to take place on September 30.