Ukraine ventilator donation dispute: Volunteer accuses MP of copying idea to donate to Cuba

The Welsh health board confirmed it had received requests for the medical equipment to be considered for donation to Ukraine and Cuba. It said the ventilators are in storage and not usable, while ophthalmic equipment requested is being considered for clinical use. A Welsh government spokesperson said approval is required to donate assets and that no formal request had been received. Eccleshall later filed a complaint with the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner alleging that Witherden copied his idea and pursued a Cuba donation in duplicity.

A letter from MP Steve Witherden dated February 9, 2026, written in his capacity as chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cuba, was sent to Wrexham's health board via an NHS source and copied to Eccleshall. The letter requests that the ventilators be donated to Cuba, cites Cuba's humanitarian needs and references Witherden's visit to Cuba in October 2025. It notes the ventilators are in a storage container and not compatible with Wrexham Maelor's systems.

Eccleshall, a Driving Ukraine volunteer and a retired policeman, met Labour MP Steve Witherden near the Welsh border in Powys and with former Welsh Assembly member Russell George. He presented his letter requesting the release of about 40 unused ventilators from Wrexham Maelor Hospital for aid to Ukraine. The ventilators were said to have been provided during the Covid pandemic but were not used due to compatibility issues. Witherden shook his hand and offered to help.

In October 2025, Witherden visited Cuba and learned that the country was in need of medical supplies, a detail cited in his February 9, 2026 letter.