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Wales Online
07-05-2025
- Wales Online
Drugs, sabotage, stealing and racism exposed in shocking report into Wales' biggest hospital
A damning report into the operating theatres at Wales' biggest hospital has revealed crime, racism and an "unsafe" workplace. The 22-page comprehensive service review of the theatres at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, reveals that staff felt serious problems were not dealt with by leaders, including a series of thefts and the discovery of illegal drugs in a staff locker. The findings include: "Inappropriate and racist remarks" were made by a staff member who said a group of Indian nurses needed name badges because they "all looked the same". Some anaesthetic practitioners were not always in theatre for the whole operation, instead watching Netflix in the anaesthetic room. Female staff felt unable to leave anything of value in the changing room because of the "regularity" of theft, which included money, phones, computers and clothing going missing. An "atmosphere of fear" had gone "a long way to destroying the bonds which allow people to work effectively together". One manager "actively sabotaging" a colleague in a newly created role in the clinical lead team. The report includes many more alarming findings, which we will add to the live blog below. Cardiff and Vale University health board said the report was a "difficult read" and apologised to those affected. It vowed to implement the long list of recommendations.
Wales Online
29-04-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Patients at Welsh hospital 'nearly had surgery' without giving proper consent
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Two patients at a Welsh hospital were reportedly moments away from undergoing surgery without proper consent. One of the patients at Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales was understood to be already under anaesthetic when the mistake was caught "at the very last moment". A whistleblower has claimed that the hospital, which is the largest in Wales, has seen recent instances where patients were almost taken into surgery "without a consent form, or with the wrong consent form". They claimed that on two occasions, three levels of pre-theatre checks failed before staff in the operating theatre spotted the errors, reports WalesOnline. Cardiff and Vale University health board acknowledged being aware of two incidents where patients were brought to the operating theatres without the correct consent forms. In response, they have initiated a "comprehensive review" of their checking procedures to make them "ensure this is more robust". Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox A spokesperson for the health board said: "There are a series of processes and checks in place to ensure no patient undergoes a procedure without the appropriate consent. On each of these occasions, checks at the beginning of the pathway to theatre failed. "However, final checks prior to the commencement of the surgical procedure identified the error. This meant that neither patient underwent a surgical procedure without consent." Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone Last month, it was reported that several staff members at the hospital were under investigation over allegations that outsiders were permitted to observe surgeries on unsuspecting patients. The health board confirmed it was investigating these "deeply concerning" claims. Earlier this year, it was disclosed that the health board was conducting a "comprehensive service review" of the hospital's operating theatres following accusations of a toxic work environment, racism, bullying, and drug use. Whistleblowers expressed frustration that the health board had not adequately investigated issues dating back to 2021 when staff allegedly allowed their friends and family into theatres to watch surgeries without any background checks and without informing patients. A spokesperson for the Welsh Government said that these concerns "must be taken seriously", but did not respond to calls from former leader of the Welsh Tories, Andrew RT Davies, for an independent investigation. In January, the health board's chief operating officer Paul Bostock penned an internal letter stating that discussions with more than 60 staff had made it "clear there are clearly deep-seated issues which we will address in order to make theatres an attractive place to work". Whistleblowers have associated the "huge" staff turnover with alleged bullying. WalesOnline previously reported allegations that one staff member had been suspended after suggesting that a group of Indian nurses needed name badges because they "all looked the same". Sources claimed the staff member returned from suspension and took diversity classes but was then suspended again over further allegations of bullying and racism Addressing the consent concerns, a health board spokeswoman said: "Cardiff and Vale University health board operates on approximately 2,500 patients each month across 40 theatres. Most theatre procedures are undertaken without incident. "Our focus remains on providing safe and high-quality care, and patient safety is always of utmost importance to us. We would like to remind colleagues of the importance of the health board's 'speaking up safely' process, which enables all colleagues to speak up and raise any concerns they have with the confidence that their voices will be heard, and suggestions acted upon."
Wales Online
28-04-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Two patients 'nearly had surgery' without proper consent
Two patients 'nearly had surgery' without proper consent One had already been anaesthetised by the time the error was discovered, we understand University Hospital of Wales in Heath, Cardiff (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Two patients at a troubled hospital reportedly came close to going under the knife without giving proper consent. One of the patients at Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales was already under anaesthetic by the time staff realised the error "at the very last moment", WalesOnline understands. A whistleblower said the hospital - the biggest in Wales - has recently had near misses involving patients entering operating theatres "without a consent form, or with the wrong consent form". In two cases, they said, three stages of the checking process failed before theatre staff eventually noticed the mistake. Cardiff and Vale University health board said it is aware of two "occurrences of patients arriving to theatres without the appropriate consent forms" and has launched a "comprehensive review" of checking procedures to "ensure this is more robust". A spokeswoman for the health board said: "There are a series of processes and checks in place to ensure no patient undergoes a procedure without the appropriate consent. On each of these occasions, checks at the beginning of the pathway to theatre failed. "However, final checks prior to the commencement of the surgical procedure identified the error. This meant that neither patient underwent a surgical procedure without consent." Last month we revealed multiple staff members at the hospital were under investigation over claims that strangers were allowed in to watch surgery on unaware patients. The health board confirmed it was probing the "deeply concerning" allegations. Article continues below And earlier this year we revealed the health board was undertaking a "comprehensive service review" of the hospital's operating theatres after claims of a toxic culture, racism, bullying and drug use. Whistleblowers voiced anger that the health board had not properly investigated concerns dating back to 2021 when staff members allegedly allowed their friends and family into theatres to watch surgery with no background checks, and without telling patients. A Welsh Government spokesman told us those concerns "must be taken seriously" but did not respond to calls from former leader of the Welsh Tories, Andrew RT Davies, for an independent investigation. In January, the health board's chief operating officer Paul Bostock wrote an internal letter stating that discussions with more than 60 staff had made "clear there are clearly deep-seated issues which we will address in order to make theatres an attractive place to work". Whistleblowers have linked "huge" staff turnover to alleged bullying. We previously reported allegations that one member of staff had been suspended after saying a group of Indian nurses needed name badges as they "all looked the same". Sources claimed the staff member returned from suspension and took diversity classes but was then suspended again over further allegations of bullying and racism. Article continues below Addressing the consent concerns, a health board spokeswoman said: "Cardiff and Vale University health board operates on approximately 2,500 patients each month across 40 theatres. Most theatre procedures are undertaken without incident." She added: "Our focus remains on providing safe and high-quality care, and patient safety is always of utmost importance to us. We would like to remind colleagues of the importance of the health board's 'speaking up safely' process, which enables all colleagues to speak up and raise any concerns they have with the confidence that their voices will be heard, and suggestions acted upon."
Telegraph
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Saving Lives in Cardiff, review: however familiar the format, it's impossible not to be moved
It seems we're suckers for Saving Lives. We've been at Sea, we've stalked hospital corridors in Leeds, and now it's back to Saving Lives in Cardiff (BBC Two) for a second look at surgeons doing seemingly impossible things. Impossible things that make writing reviews about their jaw-dropping efforts question my life choices. Then again, the chances of me being able to sit for eight hours manoeuvring a delicate joystick in order to robotically remove a life-threatening tumour from behind the nose of a jolly ex-copper called Terry are next to zero. Thankfully for us, the likes of Prof Stuart Quine, the man in charge of said joystick, are wired differently. We know the score with the Saving Lives strand by now. Filmed at Cardiff and Vale University hospital, patients with tricky (that's putting it mildly) conditions check in, a mixture of hope and fear in their eyes, to put their lives in the hands of the surgeons they trust to put their lives back on track. Yet, however familiar the format, it's impossible not to be moved by the stories which unfold before our eyes. Aside from the almost impossibly chipper Terry, we also met Courtney, who, at 27 and hoping to start a family, had been diagnosed with Chiari malformation, a condition where the brain is too big for the skull. You're right, this is where things turned squeamish. Though the sequences aren't overdone, Saving Lives does feature up-close and bloody operation shots that are not for the faint-hearted. Watching a surgeon painstakingly pick their way through the pulsing scarlet inner workings of a brain is a stiff test of anyone's queasometer. Of course, no show set in a UK hospital in 2025 can sidestep the issues facing the NHS. And while the problem of ever-growing waiting lists is not front and centre, it's there all the same, with captions of escalating numbers, the implication that surgeons are having to choose which lives to save lurks like a spectre at the feast. Still, rather like Noel Fitzpatrick's Supervet series, you can tell that the producers strive to steer towards the stories that have upbeat outcomes, however much jeopardy is injected into the story arcs of the cases we follow. But gird those loins because my guess is that future episodes may feature tears for sorrow as well as joy. Because, well, life is like that.
