Health board's name spelling error

17 January 2014 Last updated at 07:14 GMT

Betsi Cadwaladr health board's name spelling error

By Chris Dearden BBC News

The board's name was spelt with an extra 'a' at the end outside the hospital maternity unit in Bangor

The organisation which runs the NHS in north Wales has had to change several signs after its name was misspelt in two separate ways.

In one a no-smoking sign had the spelling as 'Betsi Cadwaladar', with an extra 'a' at the end of Cadwaladr.

In another fleet, vehicles had the name spelt with an extra 'e' at the end.

A spokesperson for the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said the errors by a local supplier had been amended at no cost to them.

"I can confirm that the mistake on the signage has now been amended," said a spokesperson.

"Unfortunately it was an error with a local supplier which has been rectified at no cost to the health board."

The health board did not comment on how the misspelled signs were able to be erected or how many signs had to be changed.

But misspelled signs were spotted outside the maternity unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd and on two separate fleet vehicles seen in Llanfairfechan and Tywyn.

The health board had erected no smoking signs at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor with the spelling "Betsi Cadwaladar" (with an extra "a" at the end of Cadwaladr).

Signs were also stuck on some of its vehicle fleet spelt "Betsi Cadwalader" (with an extra "e" at the end of Cadwaladr).

Another health board vehicle with the extra 'e' at the end of Cadwaladr

Darren Millar AM, the Conservative shadow health minister, said he was not impressed.

"These mistakes do nothing to enhance the reputation of the health board, which is already at rock bottom due to a series of critical reports," he said.

"If the health board can't even spell its own name how on earth can it inspire confidence amongst patients and staff?"

Betsi Cadwaladr was a Crimean War nurse who worked with Florence Nightingale.

She was born in Bala in 1789, though the health board's website states, "it is said she changed her surname to Davis as Cadwaladr could not be easily pronounced by English people".