Swansea CHC chief suspended after complaint report

The report featured allegations about care at hospitals such as Morriston in Swansea

The chief officer at a health watchdog has been suspended after excerpts of complaints became public.

They included allegations a baby died after being put in a broken incubator, which hospital managers in Swansea have since said was untrue.

Details of 58 complaints were published in a newspaper after being circulated to Abertawe Bro Morgannwg (ABM) community health council (CHC) members.

Chief officer Phil Williams has been suspended pending an investigation.

The complaints covered hospitals in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend and Cardiff, and were first published in the South Wales Evening Post.

Carol Lamyman-Jones, director of the Board of Welsh CHCs, said at the time she was disappointed that the details had been published in the media.

But the newspaper's editor Spencer Feeney said no patient could be identified from the coverage which was "unquestionably a matter of public interest."

In a statement issued on Wednesday Ms Lamyman-Jones said: "I can confirm that Phil Williams, chief officer at ABM CHC was suspended on 1 March pending investigation into the recent report surrounding patient complaints.

"It would be inappropriate to comment any further as the investigation is ongoing."