NHS Wales 'in need of urgent attention and turnaround', review finds
A report by the by the Ministerial Advisory Group on NHS Performance and Productivity, which was set up in October to look at the effectiveness of current NHS Wales arrangements, gave a slew of recommendations to improve performance as it warned that 'the health and care system in Wales faces a major challenge.'
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Wales Online
02-06-2025
- Wales Online
Verbal abuse from patients and relatives to nursing staff has risen dramatically
Verbal abuse from patients and relatives to nursing staff has risen dramatically A survey of healthworkers has found that bullying and abuse of health workers is on the rise in one region of Wales NHS Wales staff are encouraged to fill out a survey every year about various aspects of their job (Image: Getty Images ) A quarter of Swansea Bay University Health Board staff who responded to a survey said they faced abuse, harassment or bullying from patients, their relatives or members of the public. The figure of 25% for 2024 was nearly 10% higher than the previous year, a health board report said. And 24% of those that responded said they'd experienced abuse, harassment or bullying from health board colleagues in the preceding 12 months - up nearly 5% on year before. A total of 19% said they'd faced abuse, harassment or bullying from their line manager - a rise of nearly 3%. The annual survey, held over two months, is deployed by all Wales' health boards, Public Health Wales and the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here There were some positive findings for the Swansea Bay region, which covers Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. Employees cited supportive teams, job satisfaction and colleagues wanting to go above beyond to ensure the well-being of patients. Introducing the survey findings at a health board meeting Tina Ricketts, director of workforce and organisational development, said the low response rate by Swansea Bay staff was "quite disappointing". Just under 13% of the health board's 15,601 employees filled in the survey, nearly 6% fewer than the previous year and considerably less than the 21.9% Welsh average. Article continues below Feedback about the low response rate has indicated that staff lacked confidence that anything would change as a result, while concerns were also voiced about the confidentiality of individual responses. The survey findings in many respects mirrored the wider experience of NHS Wales staff. For example 56.7% of Swansea Bay staff said they'd recommend the health board as a place to work, hardly any different from the 56.4% Welsh average. And 65.1% said they were enthusiastic about the job, a smidgeon fewer than the 65.7% country-wide average. Ms Ricketts said the survey, combined with other workforce data, had informed three priority improvement areas around leadership and management, being able to speak up and raise concerns safely, and values and behaviours. A report before the board said it took a zero-tolerance approach to any bullying, harassment or abuse. Independent board member Nuria Zolle said she found the percentages around abuse, harassment or bullying from the survey "really worrying", and welcomed the focus on improved leadership. Article continues below Fellow independent board member Reena Owen said she felt it was important to tell staff what was going to change as a result of the previous year's survey in order to address the perception that nothing would change. Speaking at a health board meeting earlier this year a senior sister at Morriston Hospital's emergency department, Charlotte Gallivan, said verbal abuse from patients and relatives was increasing, and that staff were under immense pressure.
North Wales Live
02-06-2025
- North Wales Live
Mum who claimed she struggled to get out of bath caught out by Facebook posts of her running
A deceitful mum who falsely claimed over £20,000 in benefits while participating in numerous running events has been ordered to repay the money. Sara Morris, 50, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2005 but exaggerated her condition in 2020 to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The mother of three lied about the severity of her MS, claiming she lacked the strength to stand at the cooker, had balance issues and struggled to get out of the bath without help. She also claimed that leaving the house caused her such anxiety that even a trip to the pharmacy to collect her medication would reduce her to tears. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard that she received £2,292.63 in PIP each month. However, she failed to inform the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) that she was an active member of the Stone Master Marathoners and regularly participated in 5km and 10km races. Her dishonesty was exposed by her own Facebook posts documenting her running activities. Morris, from Walton Way, Stone, was overpaid £20,528.83 between October 20, 2020 and April 25, 2023. She admitted to dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit and was sentenced to eight months in prison last July, reports Stoke on Trent Live. Now she has reappeared at the same court for a Proceeds of Crime hearing. Judge Graeme Smith was told Morris benefited from her criminality by £22,386.02 and the available amount was £60,000. He ordered Morris to repay £22,386.02 within 28 days or serve nine months in prison in default. The court heard investigators carried out surveillance on Morris from February 5 to February 20, 2023. Prosecutor Regan Walters said: "On February 5 she took part in a five-mile race and was seen running without assistance and showed no signs of balance problems. On February 11 she was seen running with the Stone Master Marathoners and showed no signs of discomfort." The investigation uncovered that Morris competed in 73 races between May 2019 and December 2022. The defendant was interviewed on May 11, 2023 and she stated her MS had worsened and she was suffering from fatigue. But she confirmed she had been a member of Stone Master Marathoners running club prior to making her claim. She added she filled in her PIP form on her worst day. Paul Cliff, mitigating, said Morris was diagnosed with MS 19 years ago and the 'severity of its impact ebbs and flows to a degree'. Mr Cliff said: "But it is accepted by her that the application did not give the full picture. It crossed over into the realms of dishonesty." He said Morris's marriage broke down in the spring of 2020. He said Morris did not enjoy a lavish lifestyle as a result of her fraudulent claim. Mr Cliff said: "She lost her home because of financial problems and was struggling to keep her head above water financially. "The application did not give the full picture. She did say running was one of the ways she tried to manage her MS. She has found it difficult to come to terms with her dishonesty." Morris must also pay a £187 surcharge.
Daily Record
01-06-2025
- Daily Record
Benefits cheat who stole more than £20k caught out by Facebook posts
Sara Morris was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2005 but in 2020 she exaggerated the extent of her condition. A deceitful mum who falsely claimed over £20,000 in benefits while participating in numerous running events has been ordered to pay back the money. Sara Morris, 50, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2005 but exaggerated her condition in 2020 to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The mother of three lied about the severity of her MS, claiming she lacked the strength to stand at the cooker, had balance issues and struggled to get out of the bath without help. She also alleged that leaving the house caused her such anxiety that even a trip to the chemist to pick up her medication left her in tears. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard that she received £2,292.63 in PIP each month. However, she failed to inform the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) that she was actually a member of the Stone Master Marathoners and regularly participated in 5km and 10km races. Her own Facebook posts of her running exposed her lies. Morris, from Walton Way, Stone, was overpaid £20,528.83 between October 20, 2020 and April 25, 2023. She admitted to dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit and was sentenced to eight months in prison last July, reports Stoke on Trent Live. She recently reappeared at the same court for a Proceeds of Crime hearing. Judge Graeme Smith was informed that Morris benefited from her criminal actions by £22,386.02 and the available amount was £60,000. He ordered Morris to repay £22,386.02 within 28 days or face nine months in prison. The court learnt that surveillance on Morris was conducted from 5 to 20 February 2023, during which Prosecutor Regan Walters reported: "On February 5 she took part in a five-mile race and was seen running without assistance and showed no signs of balance problems. On February 11 she was seen running with the Stone Master Marathoners and showed no signs of discomfort." Investigators discovered Morris participated in 73 races between May 2019 and December 2022. Morris was interviewed on 11 May 2023 and confessed her condition had deteriorated; suffering from fatigue while simultaneously acknowledging her previous membership at Stone Master Marathoners. She mentioned that when filling out her PIP form, she described her symptoms at their worst. Paul Cliff, representing Morris, recognised that although her MS diagnosis dates back 19 years and varies in intensity, Morris admitted to obscuring the full extent of her capacities: "But it is accepted by her that the application did not give the full picture. It crossed over into the realms of dishonesty." Cliff also highlighted the hardships faced by Morris such as her marriage ending in early 2020 and financial struggles leading to the loss of her home: "She lost her home because of financial problems and was struggling to keep her head above water financially." Cliff clarified that Morris didn't lead an extravagant life from the fraudulent claims and he added: "The application did not give the full picture. She did say running was one of the ways she tried to manage her MS. She has found it difficult to come to terms with her dishonesty." Morris is also required to pay a surcharge of £187.
