Spiking: 'NHS nurse dismissed me as just drunk' says victim
A 19-year-old woman who believes she was spiked says she was "miserably failed" by hospital staff and says a nurse dismissed her as drunk. Libby Wolford, from Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taff, was on a night out with friends on 25 April when she experienced the "scary" incident that left her "traumatised", "screaming in pain", and unable to walk or talk.After briefly leaving her drink unattended to use the toilet, Ms Wolford returned and took a sip and within moments, she went from "nought to 100 in seconds".A Welsh government advisor has called for stronger laws, better training, and more support for victims of spiking to ensure they are taken seriously and offenders are held to account.
Ms Wolford had just finished her second drink at The Banc club in Pentre, Rhondda, when she suddenly began to feel "very unwell".She spent about 15 minutes vomiting a green substance in the toilet and became disoriented, unable to understand those around her. Her condition rapidly worsened, with severe stomach pain, dizziness, uncontrollable shaking, and breathing difficulties, which prompted her boyfriend to call her mother for help and to take her to A&E.Ms Wolford said: "It got to a point where I was laying down in the back seat, and I was screaming in pain. "I was just in so much agony."This is when I began to feel my airway starting to close because I couldn't breathe properly, and I was gasping for air. "I was so out of it I just didn't know where I was or who I was."
After arriving at the A&E department at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Ynysmaerdy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Ms Wolford said a nurse dismissed her condition as being "just paralytic" and claimed she "sees it all the time" - despite Ms Wolford being unable to walk, talk, or understand what was happening.After waiting for five hours, Ms Wolford made the decision to leave the hospital."It just got to the point where I got so fed up of waiting, and just not being able to get comfy," she said."I got really agitated, and I just wanted to go home."
Ms Wolford said the whole experience had shaken her up, left her constantly feeling unwell and "worrying wherever I go". "It started as an amazing night, but after everything that happened, it turned into the worst night I've had in my 19 years. "It's just such a scary world."
She said she had "absolutely no help" from the hospital and feels "miserably failed" as she was made to "feel so below other people". While she acknowledges the NHS is under pressure and often deals with many drunk patients on weekends, she believes her symptoms were dismissed too quickly.She added: "One day, it could happen to someone else, and they might have it 10 times worse. "If my immune system hadn't been so strong, it could have ended a lot worse. "Not every girl's body can handle or break down a drug like mine did, and it really angers me that nothing was done that day."A spokesperson for Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board said it cannot comment on individual cases but encouraged the patient to contact its concerns team directly.
In a statement, The Banc said it acted immediately after becoming aware of Ms Wolford's social media post. The club emphasised that the safety of its customers and staff is its "top priority," and that free anti-spiking drink covers are now available upon request.
Ms Wolford said she wanted to share her story to "reduce the chances of this happening to anyone else ever again".She urged women to be highly cautious with their drinks on nights out and hopes more clubs will adopt anti-spike lids to protect drinks.
In the UK, spiking is prosecuted under existing laws such as the Offences Against the Person Act and the Sexual Offences Act, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison. However, in the King's Speech in July, it was announced a new specific offence for spiking would be introduced to improve clarity, support victims, and strengthen police responses.In November, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said bystanders should be prepared to step in and help women who appear at risk of spiking during the Christmas party season.She also said up to 10,000 bar staff across the country would be trained to prevent spiking incidents, support victims and help police collect evidence.
What to do if someone is spiked?
St John Ambulance Cymru's clinical director Carl Lane, who is also an advanced paramedic, said spiking is "deeply dangerous and should always be taken seriously".Signs include confusion, loss of coordination, slurred speech, or unconsciousness - never leave someone alone if they show these symptoms.Seek urgent medical help; call 999 if someone is seriously unwell or unconscious, and use the recovery position or CPR if needed.For less urgent cases, contact NHS 111 and always report suspected spiking to police.
Ms Wolford decided not to file a police report, fearing that "nothing would be done", and said she knew "lots of women who had reported spiking crimes" without seeing any action taken. Corrie David from South Wales Police said the force takes all spiking reports seriously and urge anyone affected to come forward so investigations can take place. He said police can conduct a rapid drugs test, and alert licensed premises to known spiking methods and offer training to staff in recognising signs of vulnerability.
Yasmin Khan, who advises the Welsh government on violence against women and sexual violence, said spiking is a misunderstood and under-reported crime, largely due to the "limited forensic window" and victims feeling shame or "completely hopeless". She said reports of drink and needle spiking have increased."It's such an abuse of power and it's just unbelievable," Ms Khan said."The impact spiking has on victims is lifelong."She called for better training in healthcare and hospitality, more support for victims, and a stronger focus on listening to survivors. "We really have got to hold perpetrators to account," she said.
Stephanie Grimshaw, from Welsh Women's Aid said sexual assault referral centres such as New Pathways in Wales provide specialist support and evidence gathering for survivors. She said "disappointing" victim-blaming attitudes in healthcare made it hard for women to feel safe and believed, and stressed that supportive responses and proper training were essential to "help survivors feel confident in coming forward".
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Cryptosporidium: open farm day visitors warned over parasite risk
Tens of thousands of visitors due to attend a UK-wide open farm day this weekend have been warned about a parasitic infection that causes serious gastrointestinal were 17 outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis linked to farms in England and Wales in 2024 and an outbreak in south Wales earlier this year has seen dozens of people fall to inspection reports from the past five years - released to the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act - some farms repeatedly ignored health inspectors' advice and allowed children to handle sick animals in filthy organisers of Open Farm Sunday, which sees 190,000 visitors, said its farms have high health and safety standards. Cryptosporidium can cause severe stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea and is spread through direct contact with animals or touching surfaces that have animal faeces on them. The young, pregnant women and those with health conditions which affect their immune system can be particularly Health Wales said individual cases of cryptosporidiosis linked to visits to Cowbridge Farm Shop at Marlborough Grange Farm in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, this spring had now risen to 89 England, one of those affected after a farm visit was Emily Fryer's six-year-old son was admitted to hospital after falling ill following a visit to Gannow Farm in Worcestershire last Fryer told the BBC: "He didn't eat or drink for about five days. He just slept all the time. His sugars were dangerously low and they admitted him. "Obviously, I was really worried then. Because he is autistic and non-verbal, we didn't really know how we could help him." Mrs Fryer said the family had taken hygiene seriously when they visited the farm and had washed their hands thoroughly using facilities provided on site. A year earlier the farm had been issued with a prohibition notice by the Health and Safety Executive because it was failing to prevent or control the risk of exposure to cryptosporidium. Those issues were dealt with and the farm was licensed to show animals to the public in Fryer said she was disappointed that the farm had been allowed to reopen to visitors."I just think it's awful," she owners of the farm, which has now stopped its open days, declined to comment when approached by the BBC but have previously said they had "made every precaution possible" to prevent an farms across the UK have had to diversify their businesses over recent years to boost their profitability, with public open days, petting farms and play barns becoming an important source of inspection reports released to the BBC under the Freedom Information Act by the UK's national cryptosporidium reference unit show that a small number of farms are not meeting health and safety standards - and, in extreme cases, are ignoring warnings from one farm in Wales, which was linked to a number of outbreaks, inspectors found sick animals kept on display and a lack of handwashing facilities, risk assessments and staff training. According to reports, the inspectors told the farm those failings were "consistent with those identified previously. This indicates you are failing to maintain the required improvements from one season to the next". Another farm visited in 2023 had also failed to implement recommendations from a previous inspection, which led to another outbreak of cryptosporidiosis, while another farm, due to host a school visit a few days after inspection, was found to be failing."Comparing current visit to last year found the conditions worse," the report noted. 'Huge task' The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the 16 outbreaks in England last year was a provisional figure and data analysis due to be published later in the month may see that Public Health Wales and the UKHSA have warned the estimated 190,000 visitors who will be visiting the 250 farms taking part in Open Farm Sunday this weekend to make sure they take basic hygiene Hatton, an education specialist for organisers of the open farm event LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), said all its participating farmers were given advice and training on how best to keep visitors safe."We are supporting farmers to open their farms and with their risk assessments. We are on the phone with farmers checking in with them throughout the planning process and helping them to understand how to ensure that that visit goes smoothly and everyone goes home happy and healthy," she farm manager who says he is ensuring the highest health and safety standards for visitors on Sunday is Andy Bason, who will be welcoming around 2,000 visitors onto Newhouse Farm, Alresford, said LEAF's health and safety training had "really opened my eyes to what's needed to host this kind of event"."With the kind of numbers we see, it is a huge task. We want everyone to come here, have a great day and go home safe without any illness," he National Farmers' Union (NFU) said that the health and safety of all visitors to farms was "taken extremely seriously".
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
PPFIBP1 gene: Parents' worldwide search for babies with son's rare condition
Jack is one of only 16 children in the world with a life-limiting genetic condition that is so rare it doesn't have a 11-month-old has a mutation of the PPFIBP1 gene which means he is blind, has frequent seizures and is unlikely to ever walk or mum and dad want to track down the parents of the other children with his condition to better understand their son's diagnosis and offer support."It is very limited with what they can tell us," said his mum Amanda Thomas from St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan. "But what they have said is it is life-limiting and it is likely that he will pass away at some point during childhood but they don't know when that will be." To date Amanda has spoken to one other parent, a woman from Georgia in the US, whose daughter had the condition and died at the age of two."She felt so blessed to have her little girl in her life, even for a short time and you could just see how much love was there," said said being able to ask one another questions was helpful for both of them and she was left overwhelmed by the experience. For the first few weeks of his life, Amanda and Nick's fourth child Jack appeared completely healthy. He was nine weeks old when they first spotted something that caused concern."His right eye had dropped to the outside and it had fixed but his head had stuck to the side as well," explained Amanda."Nick took one look at him and said 'I think he needs to go into A&E'."Initially doctors were not overly concerned and the family returned hours later the same thing happened again only this time Jack was also lethargic and his breathing had become shallow so he was taken to hospital by ambulance. Shortly after arriving he had his first seizure. "He stopped breathing, I shouted for help and an entire crash team came in," said Amanda."They resuscitated him and then on the way to taking him to resus they had to stop in the corridor and resuscitate him again."Jack was put on a ventilator and moved into intensive were at a loss as to what was wrong with him. Following a number of tests that led nowhere the family underwent genetic results showed Jack has a mutated PPFIBP1 gene."They explained that every gene has two copies and with this particular gene I carry one mutated copy and Nick carries another mutated copy," said Amanda."It's meant that both of Jack's copies of this gene have got a variation to it which has caused this neurodevelopmental disorder which doesn't have a name because it is so rare." With so few known cases it is hard for doctors to predict Jack's life expectancy. "They've said it could be when he's one, it could be when he's five, it could be 10 years but knowing that we're going to outlive our child and knowing that his brothers and his sister may one day have to say goodbye to him is heart-breaking," said Amanda. Amanda and Nick were told their other children - aged 10, eight and 4 - also had a 25% chance of having the mutated gene but tests showed this was not the case. When Jack first became unwell last September the family were in the middle of fully renovating their came to a standstill so the family home is a partial building site. Amanda has left her job in social services to take care of Jack full-time and Nick has been able to continue working but is still recovering from a stroke in July 2023 and heart surgery that followed in May last are trying to crowdfund the renovation as well as equipment for Jack."Life is testing," admitted Nick. "Amanda and I have to be realistic this could be his last Christmas, this could be his last birthday so really we're just trying to get this as comfortable as possible so Jack enjoys the time he does have with us. He said he and Amanda found strength in one another. Alongside all of this Amanda is continuing her search for other parents of children with Jack's condition. "When we had our diagnosis we had nobody to turn to because there was nobody who had the same condition so there's no support groups available, there's nothing," said Amanda."If somebody in the future gets this diagnosis then perhaps they can find me, and I can offer a bit of support that I didn't have in the beginning because there were so many questions, so many what ifs, where, how, which were all just being met with 'we don't know'." Over the past eight months Jack has been taken to hospital by air ambulance three times and the family have spent about 60 nights in the future so uncertain the family are making the most of every moment."I just used to stress about the things that didn't matter, my house not being tidy, the washing piling up, now I'm learning that's not important anymore," said Amanda."We really do have limited time with Jack so it's about having those moments and making the most of it."
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
Dentists: Patients could be seen by any surgery under NHS plans
Patients could be moved around dental surgeries under proposed changes to the of having a regular surgery, the changes could see people offered treatment at any practice within their health board area, with check-ups for those with healthy teeth pushed to every 18 to 24 Welsh government said the proposals would improve access to dental services, particularly for those most in the British Dental Association (BDA) said the opposite could happen and more patients may be forced to go private. The biggest change would see all patients over 18 placed onto a central waiting list, called the Dental Access Portal (DAP).They would then be allocated a surgery, which could be anywhere within the health board they need treatment, they would remain with that surgery until it is complete and beyond, if they needed close or when teeth are healthy, patients would be returned to the central portal and would be recalled for a check-up in 18 to 24 months wherever there is would be assessed under the plans but stay at the first surgery they are charges for patients would also change - with check-ups going up from £20 to £24.75 but a single crown going down from £260 to £239.15. Health Minister Jeremy Miles said the plans would benefit everyone."It will make NHS dentistry more attractive to dentists and that is good for patients," he said."Actually, what we want to make sure is that patients do look after their own oral health but when they do need to see a dentist they will be able to access one which is the critical thing." Jody Pegler, 46, from Pontllanfraith, Caerphilly county, who has been with his dentist in Newbridge for more than 30 years, said: "I have been coming here since I was a child."It's nice to see the same person on a regular basis."Mr Pegler, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, said his family members needing to visit different surgeries could be problematic."My wife, my child and myself could potentially be attending different practices," he said."It's difficult to get out and to go anywhere really and if we have to go to different practices it would be impossible."This dentist's in particular have made a big effort to make sure the practice is wheelchair accessible for me - that means a lot." Jody's dentist is Dr Harj Singhrao, owner of Newbridge Dental Care, who believes the potential breakdown in continued care will be "devastating"."If families can't be seen at the same practice, if people are punished then to join a waiting list because they have looked after their mouth, then where are they going to go? Because we know hospital waiting lists don't work," he said. The proposals are now part of a public consultation, open until 19 June, and in Cardiff people gave a mixed response to the plans when asked by BBC Weldon, 21, said: "I've been going to my dentist since I was probably six so I guess that would be a bit sad if I can't go to him."I would say too that things haven't been going very well for the NHS so maybe this could be a good start to kind of make things easier for them and for us."Paul McCarthy, 77, said he was unaware of the changes."I wouldn't be very happy about it either," he said."I've been coming here for over 30 years and I'm used to coming here so I wouldn't like that at all."Justin Rees, 52, from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, thought the new portal idea could be positive. "It's good because one, there are no appointments at the moment."Two, it'll remind people that they need to have their teeth checked because you're busy all day and there's things that you let go," he said. In relation to how people currently access services, the consultation document says "contrary to popular belief" patients are not actually registered with a practice once their treatment ends, adding "for those who clinically require regular access, or an urgent need arises, nothing really changes".On check-ups, it says there is "false narrative" that six-monthly check-ups are necessary for everyone and that by giving people with healthy teeth a check-up less often, it will open up access for guidelines say intervals between check-ups "should be determined specifically for each patient" and the longest interval for adults should be 18-24 months. But Dr Lauren Harrhy from the BDA said she was concerned that people may end up waiting much longer, with "most people" benefiting from regular checks. Dr Harrhy, who runs a practice in Pontypool, Torfaen, said: "If we are always having patients into the practice who need lots of work done and they are not able to be put back into the central database, there is a saturation point and at which point, access into dental practices will cease."Our main concerns are we will have an overall reduction in the continuity of care... and we may find that dentists leave NHS dentistry which has been a trend over recent years anyway."Dentists also say the proposals offer no extra money to fund the changes. But Miles said investment in dentistry had increased year on year."This isn't a contract we have drawn up from thin air, it is based on years worth of work, it's 13 months of negotiations with the BDA itself," he said."No contract gives everybody exactly what they want but I am absolutely confident that for everybody - for patients, for dentists, for the NHS, for the government - this is a step forward."
