03/29/2024

Wales News Online

Local & National News for Wales

Plaid leader challenges Labour FM after FOURTEENTH report into preventable patient deaths in north Wales NHS

PLAID Cymru Leader Adam Price has challenged Labour First Minister Mark Drakeford to undertake an urgent investigation after it has come to light that there have been fourteen reports since 2014 into serious failings in North Wales’s health services resulting in preventable patient deaths.

Speaking in the chamber today during FMQs, Adam Price highlighted the case of Peter Connelly who died nearly two years ago in what the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust described as “difficult and unacceptable circumstances”

There had been an eight hour delay in admitting Mr Connelly to Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

Following his death, the senior coroner for North Wales issued a regulation 28 report which highlighted long waits outside hospitals in North Wales concluding that unless working practices altered within the NHS in North Wales it was inevitable that future deaths would occur which might otherwise have been preventable.

This year, a further report has been issued into the case of Samantha Brousas identified failings in the transfer of care at Wrexham Maelor – making it the fourteenth such report in six years. Despite suspected sepsis and being critically ill – she was held outside the hospital in an ambulance for over two hours.

Mr Price challenged the First Minister to undertake an “urgent investigation” to ensure lives are “not put at risk any further”.

He added that such a situation was a result of a lack of capacity in hospitals, the closure of community hospitals and the loss of hospitals beds – with many beds being filled by people who are ready to be discharged and moved into social care were it to be available.

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said,

“Peter Connelly died nearly two years ago in what the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust described as “difficult and unacceptable circumstances” after an eight hour delay in admitting him to Wrexham Maelor Hospital. The coroner concluded that unless working practices altered within the NHS in North Wales it was inevitable that future deaths will occur which might have otherwise been preventable.

“And true enough, this year a further report – making it the fourteenth in six years – into the case of Samantha Brousas has identified failings in the transfer of care at Wrexham Maelor. Despite suspected sepsis and being critically ill – she was held outside the hospital in an ambulance for over two hours.

“As a consequence of the concerns raised by the coroner about Betsi Cadwaladr and the Wales Ambulance Trust will the First Minister undertake an urgent investigation to ensure that lives are not put at risk?

“Of course, what all of these cases have in common is that they are a direct result of a lack of capacity in our hospitals, the closure of community hospitals and the loss of hospital beds, with many beds being filled by people who should be in social care – all happening under Labour’s watch.

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