Prince Charles Hospital issues 'compromising safe care' of babies

Immediate improvements must be made to neonatal services at a major hospital to keep babies safe, Wales' health minister has said.

An investigation found issues at the neonatal unit Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil which were compromising safe and effective care.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan said the findings would be "difficult and upsetting" for staff and families.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board said it was making improvements to services.

The review, led by two leading neonatal experts, is the latest of a string of investigations into concerns about the care of mothers and babies in the area.

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The interim findings are based on talking to more than 100 families and staff and examining case-reviews of the care of the sickest infants at the unit in 2020.

In a statement, issued to the Welsh Parliament, Ms Morgan said the review had highlighted immediate action was needed in a number of areas, to ensure the safe care of patients.

Prince Charles Hospital has been told to make several improvements in its care of newborn babies

She said government officials were working with the board to ensure "appropriate steps are taken at pace" for measures, including:

• Immediate improvements in medicine prescribing and a daily checking of prescriptions

• Increasing consultant cover at the unit with closer working and support from the neonatal unit in Cardiff

• More support for neonatal nurses

• An urgent review of certain aspects of clinical practice such as the therapeutic cooling of babies

• Better documentation including the introduction of a revised observation chart

In the statement Ms Morgan said the panel, set up in 2019 to investigate maternity failings after the health board's maternity services were put into special measures, had found some areas where "impacting on the consistent provision of safe and effective care" at the unit.

"I am mindful of the pressures currently facing staff and neonatal services are no exception - these findings will be difficult and upsetting," she said.

"However, the openness of the unit's staff and their ideas about what needs to change have been welcomed by the panel."

Ms Morgan said while the findings would be concerning for families using the maternity services, the review showed their voices "really do matter and can effect change".

"I am assured that the health board want to work with families to ensure that communication and support is improved and that parents have greater involvement in decisions about their baby's care," she said.

The "deep dive" into the health board's neonatal service was announced by the former Health Minister Vaughan Gething in March.

Concerns emerged in late 2018 that women and babies may have come to harm because of staff shortages and failures to report serious incidents.

This sparked a major independent review, which gave a damning verdict on maternity services in the health board area that covers about 450,000 people living in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bridgend and Merthyr Tydfil.

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A review by two royal colleges found women and babies may have come to harm because of staff shortages and failures to report serious incidents.It also found services were "under extreme pressure" and "dysfunctional," while many mothers had distressing experiences in how they were treated.

An update on the independent panel's work in overseeing improvements as well as its reviews of individual cases is due later this month.

In reaction to the panel's interim findings, Sallie Davies, deputy medical director at Cwm Taf, said the health board welcomed the level of scrutiny provided by the review.

"With the support of IMSOP and Welsh government alongside us, we continue to work on ongoing improvements in our maternity and neonatal services," she said.

"We are grateful for all those who have contributed valuable feedback so far but, as the review is not yet complete, it is not appropriate to comment further on specific detail, other than to stress that we remain firmly committed to providing the very best care for women, children and families across our communities."