Latest news with #AneurinBevanUniversityHealthBoard
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Police investigated death of premature baby at Grange Hospital
A claim of a 'serious medication error' being under police review was raised in a report for a recent health board meeting. Gwent Police said it received 'a report of gross negligence manslaughter following the death of a baby boy' at the hospital in Cwmbran. The force has recently closed its investigation into the incident, which was reported in July 2022. A Gwent Police spokesperson said: 'As part of our enquiries, which have now concluded, two women were spoken to under police caution as voluntary attendees in connection with this report. 'No criminal charges will be made after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service and a report will be prepared for the coroner. 'Our thoughts remain with the family.' No arrests were made, the police spokesperson added. 'We offer our sincere condolences and deepest sympathy to the family following the death of a premature baby in July 2022,' a spokesperson for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said. 'We recognise the tragic loss they have experienced, and our thoughts remain with them.' On the police probe, the health board spokesperson added: 'The circumstances surrounding the baby's death were investigated as part of a multi-agency Gwent Safeguarding process, led by Gwent Police. 'The health board cooperated fully throughout the investigation and no criminal charges were made. 'The case is now being reviewed by the coroner for Gwent, in line with standard legal processes.'
South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Recommendations made on reducing Gwent hospital delays
Leanne Watkins said she backed a recommendation for a joint IT system between the NHS and local authorities which are responsible for providing care at home and placing people into residential care homes. The recommendation is one of 11 made following an extensive audit of the process for discharging patients stuck in hospitals across Gwent despite being well enough to leave. Audit Wales looked at how the area's Aneurin Bevan University Health Board worked with its five local authorities, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen , with figures from 2023/24 examined. This is how the 'score on the door' food hygiene ratings are worked out Councils to use AI translations but 'tech bros need better Welsh' Ms Watkins is part of an 'integrated team' of NHS and council social services staff based at Monnow Vale the community hospital in Monmouth and told Monmouthshire County Council's scrutiny committee: 'I agree we need to streamline good practice and IT that would be a huge benefit. 'I currently have to have three computers just to understand social services, and for colleagues to have a health computer, it shouldn't be happening in this day and age when you've got an integrated team.' Ms Watkins said at present the patient with the longest stay in Monnow Vale has been there 40 days but before the integrated team came into the hospital its longest stay was 365 days, meaning a patient had spent a full year in hospital. The longest say in Abergavenny's Nevill Hall is currently 66 days due to 'complex issues' but Ms Watkins said the patient has a clear discharge plan. Jenny Jenkins, Monmouthshire's head of adult services, said the Audit Wales report showed there are on average 250 patients a month in Gwent hospitals who with the right support at home, or a care home place, could leave but unable to do so. That cost the Aneurin Bevan board around £27m a year based on an average bed cost of £500. The figure for patients from Monmouthshire is around 53 a month, which Ms Jenkins described as 'about a fifth' of the Gwent total. Figures have improved over the past year and the Monmouthshire figure for May this year was 51. Ms Jenkins said there is a trend in reducing the length of delays. READ MORE: NHS winter plan agreed by Aneurin Bevan Health Board The top five social care reasons for delayed discharge for Monmouthshire residents are awaiting a joint assessment that needs a social care and health assessment, waiting for a nursing home place to be available, waiting for a social care assessment, needing a home care package to be put in place and for a care home manager to make an assessment. Audit Wales, which has conducting reviews for all health board areas, has made recommendations on discharge planning, discharging patients over seven days which has been trialed in Gwent, clarifying what care will be put in place, for the health board to review how it approaches 'risk' so beds aren't 'unnecessarily' occupied and how its policies are applied. It also said the quality and sharing of information needs to be improved including sharing IT and ultimately a joint system and how patient and carers' experience is recorded.
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Aneurin Bevan health board waiting lists 'more than doubled'
The warning comes from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), which highlights 'devastating consequences' of underinvestment in community paediatrics across Wales. In Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, waiting lists for community paediatrics more than doubled from 150 in 2015 to 326 in 2024. Dr Nick Wilkinson, RCPCH officer for Wales, said: "Early intervention is vital, yet growing waiting lists and delays are leaving children without the timely care they need. "The Welsh Government must act now to prioritise and invest in children's services — before more young lives are impacted." The RCPCH's report, Collaborative Healthcare in Wales, calls on the Welsh Government to invest in early years support and address urgent staffing shortages in community paediatrics, speech and language therapy. Rocio Cifuentes, Children's Commissioner for Wales, said: "Failure to act will risk health problems worsening over time and having a significant impact well into adulthood, as well as placing more and more pressure on public services." The report also highlights increased safeguarding concerns, rising demand for complex needs care, and long-term impacts on children's development and wellbeing. It calls for a multi-agency, needs-based approach to supporting children and families.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
GPs receive new training to help endometriosis diagnosis
GPs are receiving new training to help improve early diagnosis. The scheme focuses on endometriosis, a condition affecting one in 10 women in Wales, and is part of the Welsh Government's Women's Health Plan, launched six months ago. The expert-led programme is delivered by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) and has already led to a 43 per cent increase in GP knowledge about endometriosis, boosting confidence in discussing symptoms and treatment options. Sarah Murphy, minister for mental health and wellbeing, said: "Women have told us that they feel they are not heard, and their symptoms are ignored. "This training ensures women's voices are central to their healthcare experience, and it helps GPs support their patients more effectively. "Endometriosis can have a huge impact on a woman's quality of life, their work and their relationships. "I am determined our Women's Health Plan will drive real improvements in women's health outcomes and reduce inequalities." Dr Mirka Slavska, an obstetrics and gynaecology consultant at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board who delivered the training, said: "I was delighted to deliver this training with Health Education and Improvement Wales. "The session covered differential diagnoses, referral pathways, novel diagnostic and treatment options, and introduced the Endometriosis Cymru symptom reporting tool. "The excellent feedback we received reflects the value of equipping healthcare professionals with current, practical knowledge to improve care for those living with endometriosis." Endometriosis is one of eight priority areas in the Women's Health Plan, published in December. Since its launch, key achievements include plans for a women's health hub in every health board area by March 2026, the creation of Wales' first women's health research centre, and a focused call for research into women's health communication. Dr Helen Munro, clinical lead for Women's Health in Wales, provided an update on the health hubs at the Everywoman Festival in Cardiff. She said: "Meeting women's needs across their life course will be at the heart of the new women's health hubs. "This is where healthcare professionals will join up with existing services to provide women's health services within our communities."
Wales Online
06-06-2025
- Wales Online
Pharmacist suspended after confessing he took cocaine and ecstasy
Pharmacist suspended after confessing he took cocaine and ecstasy A colleague claimed he said "he had been a bit naughty last night" and had been "sniffing things" Daniel Rosser admitted using illicit drugs (Image: Aneurin Bevan University Health Board ) A Welsh pharmacist has been suspended after admitting using cocaine and ecstasy. Pharmacist Daniel Rosser, owner of D R Rosser chemist, has received a three-month suspension after being found not fit to practise. As well as confessing to using illicit drugs, junior colleagues also gave evidence reporting his demeaning behaviour towards them. A General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) fitness-to-practise committee was told Mr Rosser had initially attempted to conceal his "substantial history of taking illicit drugs" before later admitting it. Rosser bought the independent pharmacy on Church Street in Monmouth in 2006 but will no longer serve as the lead pharmacist for three months following the principal hearing by the GPhC. During the hearing held between April 28 and May 7, the committee heard that "he admitted to using illicit drugs" to colleagues but then denied all allegations put to him by the council's inspector. The 43-year-old later confessed to using recreational drugs in his spare time saying: "I understand why recreational drugs would be frowned upon by the GPHc and why I shouldn't do so. "I have never been on duty as a pharmacist under the influence of recreational drugs, but I understand the patient safety concerns if it's known that I do so in my out of work time." Article continues below He later went on to say that he has "stopped taking recreational drugs" and has limited his alcohol consumption. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here Former colleagues of Rosser gave evidence to say that they believed he had been under the influence when working, compromising patient safety. However, this was not found proven. In August 2023, he told a council inspector that he had been taking drugs, "namely cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy" at festivals over the five years prior. A former colleague recalls him telling them that "he has taken drugs ever since university days and stated that he has 'got a bit worse' with it in the last five years". A positive use of cocaine and methamphetamine (ecstasy) between July 14 and August 28, 2023 was found proven. There were six allegations put to Rosser that included him attending the pharmacy under the influence, dishonesty to the council, the bullying of a junior colleague and refusing to talk to a dementia patient "because she'll forget anyway". The council only found two of the allegations to be proved true; Confirming to a GPhC Inspector when asked that he did not use illicit drugs and secondly, that he was dishonest, attempting to conceal his history of taking illicit drugs. The other allegations were not proven. At the hearing, the council heard that from a colleague that Rosser had 'stumbled' into the pharmacy looking a "mess" and he said that he had been 'doing cocaine and did not get to bed until 5am". He reportedly told the colleague that "he had been a bit naughty last night" and had been "sniffing things". The council found that this evidence was "not corroborated by other witnesses" and that there was no other evidence that he had attended the pharmacy under the influence of drugs or alcohol. A former junior colleague of Rosser's also claimed that he was "belittling and demeaning" towards her as well as "barging" past her and "snatching the pharmacy's phone" from her hands. She claimed that his behaviour towards her caused her "emotional harm". Mr Rosser submitted to the hearing that he was deeply sorry for his actions and understood he brought the pharmacy profession into disrepute. His submissions included references to demonstrate that he is "a pharmacist of exceptional quality". The committee considered that a three-month suspension was "appropriate and proportionate to mark the seriousness of the registrant's actions". Article continues below They found he brought the profession of pharmacy "into disrepute". The committee said: "Taking illicit drugs, even when not under the influence of them when working, does not uphold how a pharmacy professional should behave."
