Latest news with #UHW
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Health
- Wales Online
Cricket star's daughter Bethan James would 'have likely survived' if medics had acted differently, inquest told
Cricket star's daughter Bethan James would 'have likely survived' if medics had acted differently, inquest told An expert witness said Bethan's cardiac arrest could have been avoided, and that she could have survived if it had been. Bethan is the daughter of former Glamorgan and England cricketer Steve James Bethan, who died in 2020 aged 21, was the daughter of Glamorgan and England cricket star Steve James A seriously unwell 21-year-old woman would have 'likely survived' if medics had acted appropriately sooner, an expert witness has told the coroner overseeing the inquest into her death. Bethan James, the daughter of former Glamorgan and England cricketer Steve James, died on February 8, 2020, just a few hours after being admitted to the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff. The ongoing inquest into her death, which began on Tuesday, June 3, at Pontypridd Coroner's Court, heard that she died of sepsis and pneumonia. Her illness was complicated by the immune suppressing effects of Crohn's disease, it was heard. Budding journalist Bethan's dad, Steve, a highly respected sports journalist himself, was away covering Wales' Six Nations match in Ireland when his daughter was taken seriously ill. Heartbreakingly, due to weather delays, he was unable to get home and see her before she died. During the third day of the inquest on Thursday, June 5, coroner Patricia Morgan heard evidence from Dr Duncan Thomas who treated Bethan at hospital. Article continues below He said he was surprised by how quickly her condition worsened when she was brought into UHW, and expressed 'frustration' that Ms James had not been brought to the resuscitation area – used for treating the most seriously ill patients – earlier. However, he did not believe there was anything that could have been done to save her. Dr Thomas said: 'I was, I think it's fair to say, astounded at how quickly Bethan was deteriorating. 'The rate of Bethan's deterioration was not something I had previously observed in someone of her age group, and, in my career, I have only ever seen it one more time.' While Dr Thomas said the hospital should have received a 'pre-alert' from paramedics bringing Bethan to UHW, he did not believe it would have saved her life, with damage to multiple organs already present before she arrived. 'It's my belief that, unfortunately, Bethan would have died,' he said. 'Bethan's presentation and rate of deterioration were incredibly atypical of someone of her age group.' Bethan James pictured celebrating her 21st birthday Dr Thomas said Ms James' death had a 'profound' impact on him and other staff at the hospital, adding: 'I wish there was something I could have done'. However, the inquest later heard from expert witness Dr Chris Danbury: an intensive care consultant at University Hospital Southampton and an honorary senior lecturer at the University of Southampton Medical School. He disagreed with evidence heard earlier on Thursday, stating his view was that Bethan's cardiac arrest could have been avoided. Ms Morgan asked him: 'Is it your evidence that if [Bethan] had been taken into the resus area [straight away] then a cardiac arrest could have been avoided?' Dr Danbury replied: 'Yes. That's based on my experience. We have seen patients like this frequently. If you [act] aggressively when they come through the door you can avoid cardiac arrest.' He further explained: 'Resus is a safe place…I have no problem with her staying in resus until a bed came available at [the intensive care unit]. Resus is the place she should be safe until she gets stabilised and is safe to move elsewhere in the hospital.' Referring to Dr Danbury's pre-prepared report, Ms Morgan said: 'You say if she hadn't gone into cardiac arrest, in your view, she would have likely survived?' He responded: 'Yes.' Responding to Dr Thomas's description of Bethan's presentation of 'atypical', Dr Danbury said: '[It is] something I have seen before and no doubt I will see it again.' During the first day of the inquest on Tuesday it was heard how Bethan was 'dismissed' by a number of medics in the weeks that led up to her death. On Wednesday the coroner heard from the ambulance crew who tended to Bethan and brought her to UWH. The paramedics agreed that A&E should have been warned that Bethan was on her way. Speaking at the hearing on Tuesday, her heartbroken mother, Jane James, described Bethan as a 'caring' and 'beautiful' person who always put others before herself. Diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2019 at the age of 20, Bethan documented her experience of the condition through a vlog and had hopes of becoming a journalist. Mrs James said: 'As a person she never moaned, she never made a fuss. She was very caring. She was just beautiful. 'She put people before herself. She was more interested in other people and their stories and I think that's why she would have made a brilliant journalist.' The inquest continues. Article continues below
Wales Online
13-05-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Major plan for new University Hospital of Wales appears to have stalled
Major plan for new University Hospital of Wales appears to have stalled In 2021 the health board said work to build a new hospital could start this year but that appears to have been pushed back University Hospital of Wales in Heath, Cardiff (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Plans to replace the dilapidated main hospital for Wales appear to hang in the balance as neither the health board in charge nor Welsh Government can explain what progress has been made In 2021 the health board announced it wanted to start building a replacement for Wales' largest hospital. At that time it was said work could start in 2025 and be finished three years later but no details of whether it would be built at the existing site University Hospital of Wales (UHW) site in Cardiff or at another location were given. At that stage a £107m price tag was put on the plans to replace UHW, which was built between 1962 and 1971. The health board's then-chief executive of strategic planning Abigail Harris said: "The time is right to look at the facilities we need for the future." It was said then that Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, which runs UHW, had asked the Welsh Government for funding to draw up detailed plans to replace the hospital with a new one. University Hospital Llandough was also to be refurbished and extended. You can read the detail from the 2021 WalesOnline report here. Last week First Minister Eluned Morgan was asked for an update about the hospital's plans. Independent MS Rhys ab Owen asked what plans were being looked in terms of a new hospital. She was unable to answer. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. We then went to Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and the Welsh Government asking for any update and whether there are still plans for a new UHW to be built. Article continues below The Welsh Government responded: "Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is currently developing a plan for the future of both the University Hospital of Wales and University Hospital Llandough sites. Following this we will work with the health board about options and timelines." When we asked whether there had been progress, or agreement on the funding plan, or whether progress had been made for proposed changes at Llandough, or whether there were still plans for a new UHW to be built, we were directed to the health board. A health board spokesman failed to directly answer whether a new hospital was still being looked at or to offer any amended timetable for the original proposals from 2021 but said a condition survey about the hospital's condition was being carried out and "is expected to complete this year". That will, we were told, "help the health board identify options for estate development to support our clinical services plan including University Hospital of Wales and University Hospital Llandough". Their statement in full said: "We are aware that the modernisation and maintenance issues are indicative of a national NHS ageing estate. Colleagues within our capital and estates team provide continuous maintenance and repair works to the hospital infrastructure, prioritising the health and safety of patients and colleagues. This is done in conjunction with and supported by Welsh Government estates and capital colleagues. "The health board submitted a business case to Welsh Government in 2021 and has, with the support of Welsh Government, recently commissioned a condition survey to clarify estate priorities. The condition survey is expected to complete this year and will help the health board identify options for estate development to support our clinical services plan, including University Hospital of Wales and University Hospital Llandough. "Cardiff and Vale University Health Board continue to work proactively with Welsh Government on a number of business case developments which are intended to improve the site infrastructure." Article continues below
Pembrokeshire Herald
02-05-2025
- Health
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Cardiff heart check could save lives for people in Pembrokeshire
CARDIOLOGISTS in Wales are urging older people to consider travelling to Cardiff Bay next week for a free heart check that could detect a potentially fatal but treatable condition. The team from University Hospital of Wales (UHW) will be in Roald Dahl Plass on Wednesday (May 7) with the Your Heart Matters mobile clinic, offering free stethoscope checks to people aged 60 and over as part of a major awareness drive around Heart Valve Disease (HVD). Doctors say more than 250,000 older people in Wales may be living with undiagnosed HVD — a condition that, if left untreated, has worse outcomes than many cancers. It occurs when one or more of the heart valves stop working properly, putting strain on the heart and increasing the risk of stroke, heart attack or death. Professor Richard Anderson, a consultant interventional cardiologist at UHW, said: 'Most people do not realise how deadly heart valve disease can be — but also how common and mild the symptoms are. Breathlessness, tiredness, or just feeling worn out can often be signs of something serious.' 'Too often these signs are mistaken for 'just getting old'. But if picked up early, this condition can be treated with surgery or a minimally invasive procedure and people can go on to live healthy, active lives.' Barriers to care in Wales The event in Cardiff comes amid concerns about delays to diagnosis and treatment for HVD patients in Wales, particularly those in rural or coastal counties like Pembrokeshire. UHW and Morriston Hospital in Swansea are the only centres offering specialist valve treatments, but both are under severe pressure from long waiting lists and a lack of beds — delays which experts warn can lead to significant harm for those with HVD. Dr Omar Aldalati, another interventional cardiologist at UHW, said travel and transport also pose major challenges: 'We see patients who have to travel two hours or more each way just to get to their appointments. If clinics run late or get cancelled, it can mean people miss out on vital care — especially those without a car or access to good public transport.' Encouraging early diagnosis The Your Heart Matters truck is part of the UK-wide Valve for Life initiative, which aims to make heart checks more accessible. The stethoscope checks take just a few minutes and do not require people to undress — only to wear non-thick clothing. There will be male and female clinicians available on the day, with language support offered for both English and Arabic speakers. Nurse Cath Owen, lead clinical nurse specialist for Structural Heart at UHW, said: 'If you're over 60 and feeling more fatigued than usual, out of breath or dizzy — or just want peace of mind — please come and see us. The checks are free, quick, and could save your life.' Event details The Your Heart Matters truck will be parked in Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay, on Wednesday (May 7), from 10:00am to 3:00pm. Anyone aged 60 or over is welcome to attend.
Wales Online
27-04-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
She went out for a run and 24 hours later was dying and needed all her limbs amputated - there were six signs
She went out for a run and 24 hours later was dying and needed all her limbs amputated - there were six signs Lily McGarry, 23, became a quadruple amputee when she developed septic shock having gone into hospital with "flu-like symptoms" Lily was an avid swimmer, runner and surfer before the devastating illness (Image: Maisie Lemon Smith ) On a Sunday in January, 23-year-old sporty medicine student Lily McGarry went for a 10km run and enjoyed her usual weekend activities. By Tuesday, her sister received an urgent call from the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) telling her she needed to come and that her sister was "very ill". Over the following months, Cardiff University medicine student, Lily, received life-saving care from doctors after she was diagnosed with meningococcal septicaemia, a severe and aggressive blood infection. Lily's sister said her condition deteriorated "extraordinarily quickly" and several weeks after she was first admitted the sporty student became a quadruple amputee. All four of her limbs were shortened with amputations above her knees and through her elbows, and she is still in intensive care in hospital. Article continues below Lily's older sister, Maisie Lemon Smith, said her sister's illness has been both "devastating and shocking". "I'd spoken to her on the Sunday and she'd been out walking a friend's dog, been for a 10km run, doing all her normal fun weekend activities and she was fine. Then by Tuesday morning, I got a call from the hospital saying 'you need to come, Lily is very ill'. So it happened in definitely less than 24 hours, really in less than 12 hours she became critically ill." After spending several weeks in a coma, doctors assessed what life-saving treatment Lily would need and it became clear she would need to have quadruple amputations due to the severe effects of sepsis restricting the blood flow to her extremities. "Obviously we hoped she would retain as much of her limbs as possible and the doctors have worked really hard to do that. But yeah, I think we always knew it was a possibility." Lily is in her third year of medicine at Cardiff University (Image: Maisie Lemon Smith ) Lily continues to receive care in the ICU, with daily visits from her mum, dad and stepdad, and regular visits from her housemates, boyfriend and course mates. Maisie, who lives in Scotland, stayed with her for the first three weeks and has made bi-weekly visits since. Despite everything Lily has been through this "turbulent" year, her sister said she's managed to stay pretty positive. Maisie said: " She's good. She is amazingly, generally managing to remain positive . I think she's a lot stronger than I would be if it was me there to be honest." Last week, Lily's family and friends set up a Gofundme page to raise money for prosthetics and adaptations to help Lily return home and pay for the long-term care she will require. Incredibly, they have raised over £320,000. "I know my mum's spoken to her about the fundraiser and how much awareness is being able to be raised through that. And she's really, really pleased with that." " I'm hugely, hugely shocked and very grateful for the response it's got and the community that seems to have sprung up around Lily. A s well as the GoFundMe page, I know there are people planning runs and other kind of fundraising events as well and everybody just really wants to help support Lily however they can." "Just to see how much the community cares as well has just been really, really heart-warming." Lily's family have been fundraising to help her "rebuild her life, regain her independence and pursue her dreams" (Image: GoFundMe ) Looking ahead, Lily's family are hopeful her time in ICU will come to an end in the next few weeks. Maisie said: "The surgeons and the other doctors that are caring for her say she's making good progress and then it will be the next stages. To move away from the ICU and the intensity of care that she needs there." Maisie explained that because her sister's been in a hospital bed since January, she would have to start with "what seems like small actions to you or I", conceding that it will be a long road to rehab and eventually being able to get prosthetics fitted. Maisie wanted to stress that if people want to donate, to make sure they are donating to the official GoFundMe page here. Both Lily and her family want to use Lily's experience to raise awareness of the signs of sepsis. Maisie said: "I f you have any of those symptoms seek care urgently, the quicker you get care the better your outcomes are likely to be." Article continues below The six signs of sepsis are:
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'I was told over the phone by a stranger that I have months to live'
A Welsh health board has apologised over the way they told a 54-year-old woman she had terminal cancer and months to live. Samantha Robinson-Byrne says she was left bereft and confused after a nurse informed her she had an inoperable tumour in haphazard fashion over the phone last year. Ms Robinson-Byrne, from Barry, says she could not believe what she was hearing when she answered the phone at home in July to a nurse practitioner from University Hospital of Wales' (UHW) neurology department telling her: 'I wanted to talk to you about your tumour.' Unable to speak, Samantha asked the nurse to phone her husband Glyn who was then told his wife had a stage four glioblastoma and potentially eight months to live and would be passed on to Velindre. Despite having scans and a biopsy in the previous weeks, the couple say they had been told by doctors at UHW that the lesion found on Samantha's brain was unlikely to be cancerous, which was the last thing they'd heard before the sudden phone call. In a statement the health board apologised to the couple and said the way they were told of Samantha's prognosis wasn't right. READ MORE: M4 and M48 closed after 'human remains' discovered READ MORE: Man suffers 'multiple stab wounds' after incident in Merthyr Tydfil Last June Samantha, a civil servant, suddenly fell ill and had to stop work. Glyn, 51, called an ambulance to the house and Samantha then had two seizures within minutes of each other and then went into cardiac arrest. She was then put into an induced coma and rushed to UHW where she spent four days in intensive care and another four weeks on a ward. Despite regular tests and scans doctors weren't sure what had caused Samantha's condition but felt she might have epilepsy and they discharged her with medication, Glyn explained. But three days later she had a third seizure and was rushed into A&E back at UHW. 'This time was different because she didn't recognise anyone and she couldn't remember a lot,' Glyn recalled. 'On that occasion they decided they'd do a lumbar puncture because they'd found a small lesion on Sam's brain after conducting a second round of tests. It came back clear and so the doctor said they'd discharge Sam again and if Sam wanted to she could have a biopsy. We were never told there was even a chance of cancer. They told us the scans and tests and the lumbar puncture had all come back clear. 'Sam decided she wanted to cover all bases and so she asked for a biopsy to be done. We waited a couple of days and we'd heard nothing. We weren't worried about cancer then after what we'd been told. But then we had a phone call from a clerical nurse from UHW who said: 'Hi there, I wanted to talk to you about your tumour.' Sam said: 'Sorry? No-one has mentioned anything to me about a tumour.' Sam said she couldn't have the conversation so then the nurse called me and told me Sam had stage four cancer and it was terminal and she had months to live, all really matter of fact. 'We were both in bits, inconsolable. Our world came crashing down. We got on with it and Velindre oncologist team have been fantastic with us but what happened has really stuck with Sam and she's got PTSD. She's also now having increased panic attacks which she's on heavy medication for. We have complained to the health board about how they told us of the news. Sam has told them she felt at the least she deserved to be sat down and told in person. 'On reflection we think we could have been told prior: 'Unfortunately there is a chance this could be cancer.' None of that happened. It was completely out of the blue and told in a throwaway manner. How do you tell someone over the phone they're going to die? We understand it's hard and not a nice thing to have to do. We're not saying the phone call would have ended all our issues. But we feel it could and should have been handled with more care." Samantha said she felt she was told the most devastating news of her life "without any thought". "To me it's just been torture to be given that diagnosis through my mobile phone in such a way," she said. "I'd had the scans, tests and biopsy with no elusion that it was even a possibility. It puzzles me that we didn't have any preparation as to the worst case scenario. What I want to do now is to reach out and say: 'This shouldn't have happened and this shouldn't happen going forward. It destroys you. You shouldn't be told you're dying in such a way.'" Samantha said her mother received news of her own lung cancer diagnosis by being sat down by a doctor who had a discussion with her, which she had expected for herself if she was to receive similar news. 'My mother had lung cancer and she was told appropriately at Llandough Hospital and the doctor sat with us and did it with care and thought and emotion," she said. "So I'd seen it done properly. In my case it was done in a blasé way and with no empathy." Glyn added: "Sam knows she is going to die. Before that happens she wants to make sure the news she received isn't delivered to others in the way she received the news. It has really upset her and caused her a great deal of added stress. She wants others to be treated with more compassion. I would like the health to outline steps they have taken to ensure this doesn't happen again." A spokesperson for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: 'We wish to offer our sincere apologies to Mrs Robinson-Byrne for the distress caused when receiving the difficult diagnosis. We acknowledge that, on this occasion, the news was not delivered in the most appropriate manner and a member of the clinical team has since spoken directly with Mr Robinson-Byrne to address the situation and offer an apology for their experience. As a health board we would welcome the opportunity to discuss any further concerns with Mr and Mrs Robinson-Byrne and our dedicated concerns team is available for contact both on email or over the phone.'
