John Owens: Daughter feels let down by Covid death review

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said staff had done their "very best" and followed "guidance available to them"

A woman whose father died in the first wave of the Covid pandemic has said she feels let down by a hospital review.

Sharon Wilson said her father, John Owens, should never have been sent home from hospital, two days after lockdown was announced.

He was later readmitted to Newport's Royal Gwent Hospital and died just days short of his 82nd birthday.

Health bosses said staff had done their "very best" and followed "guidance available to them" at the time.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is undertaking a review as part of Welsh government's national nosocomial Covid-19 programme looking at healthcare-acquired infections in the wake of the pandemic.

Ms Wilson said: "All I want from the Royal Gwent is for them to say he shouldn't have been sent home.

"They sent him home in full knowledge he had Covid.

"That caused distress to me and I have nothing like the equipment a hospital has.

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The health board is undertaking a review as part of a Welsh government programme looking at healthcare-acquired infections

"I was distressed and didn't know what to do and all my father was doing was sleeping," she said.

Mr Owens was admitted to hospital with pneumonia on 27 February 2020 and discharged on 25 March, nine days after he had tested positive for Covid.

Ms Wilson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that she tried to care for her father at his home at Oakdale in Caerphilly borough but there was no support.

Within days, Mr Owens, a former collier, had fallen at home and was taken by ambulance back to the Royal Gwent.

He died on 1 April, shortly after being moved to Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr hospital, Ystrad Mynach.

Sharon Wilson: "I was distressed and didn't know what to do"

Ms Wilson said she took part in a telephone interview as part of the hospital review which found her father had a health care acquired infection.

It stated there was no legal breach by the hospital, with infection control procedures having been followed.

Ms Wilson said in the days after her father's death she found herself looking at the daily totals published of new Covid infections and deaths.

"We could only have a maximum of 10 people at the funeral and there was no hugging at the funeral," she said.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said its "deepest sympathy remain with Mr Owens' family".

"We have already been in contact with Mr Owens' family but we would encourage them to get in touch with us should they wish to discuss anything further."