Ysbyty Glan Clwyd: Stroke patients would rather go to England

People would rather go to England if they had a stroke than use the A&E at a north Wales hospital, a health watchdog has said.

Inspectors said there was a "clear and significant risk to patient safety" after inspections at the department in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Denbighshire.

North Wales Community Health Council's Geoff Ryall-Harvey said it was the "worst situation" they had seen.

The report said inspectors found staff who were "working above and beyond in challenging conditions" during a period of "unrelenting demand". Many staff told them they were unhappy and struggling to cope. They said they did not feel supported by senior managers.

However inspectors said that the health board was not fully compliant with many of the health and care standards, and highlighted significant areas of concern, which could present an immediate risk to the safety of patients, including:

• Doctors were left to "come across" high-risk patients instead of being alerted to them.
• Patients were not monitored enough - including a suspected stroke patient and one considered a suicide risk.
• Children were at serious risk of harm as the public could enter the paediatric area unchallenged.
• Inspectors found evidence of children leaving unseen or being discharged against medical advice.

Betsi Cadwaladr health board said it was committed to improvements.

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Source: BBC News, 8 August 2022