Hospital staff 'left operating theatres during surgery to watch Netflix'
The report revealed an 'atmosphere of fear' in the hospital's surgical department - after staff were caught leaving operating theatres to watch Netflix and pigeons were spotted in the corridors
Hospital chiefs have apologised after staff were caught leaving operating theatres mid-surgery to watch Netflix, a damning report revealed.
Safety fears were raised at the University Hospital of Wales during an internal investigation of its surgical department. According to the report, anaesthetic practitioners were not always present in theatre during their patients' operations, and were instead spending time in the anaesthetic room watching Netflix on their phones. The hospital's cleanliness had also fallen below expected standards after pigeons were seen in trauma theatres and theatre corridors. Health board chiefs have now apologised and are conducting a separate review into allegations that staff allowed members of the public to watch surgery.
The report, by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, also found that staff felt belittled and criminal behaviour - including theft and illegal drugs found in a staff locker - went unchallenged. Surgery staff said they often worked through their breaks so needed to take food and drink into the anaesthetic room.
Poor infection control was also laid bare as staff were found to not be wearing masks properly, did not have bare arms below the elbow and were wearing jewellery or nail varnish. One person was also found to be still working at the health board after being caught with drugs - with no charges brought by police.
An anonymous complaint of racism was made to management and the person accused was suspended but no further action was taken as there was insufficient evidence. The health board said the reluctance of staff to speak up made complaints difficult to address. In a joint statement, the health board's Suzanne Rankin and Paul Bostock said the report was "very disappointing and concerning."
They said: "The service review was completed on Tuesday, 29 April 2025 and involved over a third of theatres staff sharing their views and experiences. It uncovered a number of concerning themes, ranging from failures of leadership practice, variable compliance with policies and procedures and poor culture, all of which impact upon behaviours and psychological safety of colleagues.
"In relation to patient safety, the main areas of concern relate to compliance with the World Health Organisation surgical safety checklist and the process for obtaining patient consent. As a Health Board, we have already taken mitigating actions and improvements have been implemented."
They added: "The health board will now consider the findings, recommended actions and implications of the service review as it develops a management response and a detailed action plan to make urgent improvements and address quality and safety issues.
"Colleagues directly involved in theatres will receive a copy of the report and will be supported by a series of face-to-face briefings with the chief operating officer and other senior colleagues. We are very sorry for the distress and concern this will cause, and we want to reassure the public that we will take the necessary steps to address the concerns raised."
There are 12 operating theatres at the hospital which carry out 10,700 operations each year including 7,000 emergency cases.
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