Betsi Cadwaladr: No improvement at health board, claim relatives

Tawel Fan, a dementia ward at Glan Clwyd hospital, was closed in 2013 after concerns were raised

A health board that provided "inexcusable and unacceptable" treatment has shown "no improvement", claim relatives of patients.

It comes a week after a carer for Betsi Cadwaladr health board was arrested over concerns of mistreating patients.

A member of staff shared a video on WhatsApp of a patient lying in their own faeces.

The health board said it is sympathetic to the opinions of families but that "progress has been made".

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After five years under special measures, the Welsh government lifted that in November 2020.

But after more reports highlighted failures, Health Minister Eluned Morgan issued a final warning in February that it had three months to make improvements or she would consider "further escalation measures".

Tawel Fan, a dementia ward at Glan Clwyd hospital, was closed in 2013 after concerns were raised about care standards.

An initial report found "institutional abuse" had taken place at the ward. The health board responded by saying the patients there were given "inexcusable and unacceptable treatment".

A later independent report concluded that there was no institutional abuse, but accepted there were failings.

Toxic culture

John Stewart's father-in-law, John Martindale, was a patient at Tawel Fan in 2013.

"He was treated like an animal. And he died like one. It was just awful," Mr Stewart told BBC Wales's Newyddion S4C programme.

John Martindale died after being treated at the controversial mental health unit in 2013

Mr Stewart has since liaised with the health board in an attempt to learn lessons from the Tawel Fan scandal.

Reacting to the news of last week's arrest of a nurse, he said: "You kind of hoped that things were changing. And I think some people have tried very hard to make it change, but the culture is just so toxic at Betsi.

"I think you can attribute it to mistakes that have been made in the past and not dealt with properly."

Phill Dickaty, the son of another patient who died at Tawel Fan, reiterated Mr Stewart's feelings.

'Still failing the people it serves'

Joyce Dickaty died on the Tawel Fan ward in September 2012 aged 76 years old.

Mr Dickaty said: "Betsi Cadwaladr university health board don't appear to have shown any real improvement in terms of the culture, since the Ockenden/HASCAS recommendations.

"We did take some comfort in that going forward, others would not suffer in the same way as us and there would be 'lessons learned'. However, this doesn't seem to be the case.

"Betsi Cadwaladr University health board are still failing the people it serves".

The patient watchdog in north Wales, the Betsi Cadwaladr community health council, also expressed concerns that improvements in care standards aren't being implemented by the health board.

'Little effective action'

Chief officer Geoff Ryall-Harvey said: "There have been many reports over the past nine years highlighting poor care and making recommendations for improvement.

"We see action plans but little effective action."

The CHC did also acknowledge they were "reassured to see the health board has made an early disclosure of the situation [regarding the arrest of a member of nursing staff]".

In a statement addressing the concerns raised, Betsi Cadwaladr health board's deputy CEO and executive director of integrated clinical services Gil Harris acknowledged the health board had "more to do".

She said: "The health board has strengthened transparency and accountability and remains thoroughly committed to safeguarding all patients in its care."

"Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board wants care for the elderly in north Wales to be a beacon of best practice and this will always be our goal.

"We believe we now have strong management and processes in place to support staff in providing those services - and we continue to work closely with our partners at North Wales Community Health Council in monitoring our progress."