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Disciplinary action has started against an NHS body's assistant director after he compared the treatment of non-Welsh speakers to "apartheid".

James Moore was at Health Education and Improvement Wales when he said it was time to "stand up to oppressors".

The HEIW said he had left a secondment with them and returned to his permanent role at the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust after "internal discussions".

The Welsh Ambulance Service said "appropriate" action was being taken.

Mr Moore's comments were posted on social media in a discussion about plans to change a Carmarthen primary school from English to Welsh medium.

The comments were criticised by Welsh Language Commissioner Aled Roberts and Minister for Welsh Language Eluned Morgan as "totally unacceptable".

The HIEW has confirmed Mr Moore had been on an 18-month secondment to the HIEW as an assistant director when the comments were made.

The HIEW said it was fully committed to supporting and growing the Welsh language within the NHS.

"We do not support or condone the comments made by the individual in question but we cannot comment on internal discussions with an individual employee," they said in a statement.

"We take such matters seriously."

The Welsh Ambulance Service Trust said it did not condone the comments of Mr Moore, an assistant director, which they said were "ill-judged and inflammatory".

"They fly in the face of our commitment to the Welsh language and our role as the national ambulance service of Wales," said a spokesperson.

"The appropriate action has been initiated in line with the NHS Wales disciplinary policy."