Maternity services at a health trust reviewed by Health Inspectorate Wales identified as requiring “immediate improvement”

Following an unannounced inspection in September 2023 by Health Inspectorate Wales at Singleton Hospital, run by Swansea Bay University Health Board, the inspectors’ report identified significant patient safety concerns and issued an immediate assurance letter to the Health Board.

Key concerns raised include emergency theatre space not being fit for purpose, lack of timely pain relief during labour, negative staff responses and reports of incidents without proper evidence that lessons have been learned.

Families affected by their experiences at Singleton Hospital were advised this week that an independent review would be commissioned by the Health Board into the maternity and neonatal care provided. There are calls by the families to ensure that their voices are heard and for the Terms of Reference of the Review to reflect those set out for the Ockenden Review for Nottingham.

Dr Bill Kirkup was originally commissioned by the Health Board in 2021 to specifically review the care provided to one of the affected families. Following this, Dr Kirkup later told ITV that his report was not well accepted by the Health Board. Further pressure by the affected families led to the issue being raised in Senedd with the Welsh First Minister, Mark Drakeford, being specifically questioned on the issue by the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies.

Whilst the Trust says that they are “making improvements” and “committed to learn from feedback”, this is not much comfort to the families who have been battling to have their concerns heard and want reassurance that they will be involved in the Review to ensure that the Trust make the changes needed to support patient safety.

Ashtons Legal Medical Negligence lawyer Ali Masterson comments: “When we see Trust responses to complaints, the one constant is the reassurance that ‘lessons have been learned’. I cannot imagine how frustrating it must be for families who have experienced poor care at Singleton Hospital and raised their concerns to be told that lessons were not learned and in fact, nothing has changed at all.

“For my clients in these situations, one of their main requests is to make sure that what happened to them does not happen to anyone else. There is a great deal of work for the Swansea University Health Board to do to regain the trust of their local community. The best way for them to do that is to engage honestly, transparently and fearlessly with the Review and listen to the affected families.”

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