ASSESSORS found “evidence of active ongoing risks and significant areas of concern” at a hospital mortuary, five months after the wrong bodies were released to two bereaved families.

As a result, the UK’s national accreditation service has partially suspended its official recognition of mortuary activities at the Grange University Hospital, in Cwmbran.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said it has put in safeguards against any further incidents, and is working with the mortuary staff to “deliver continued improvements”.

The two separate incidents occurred at the hospital in November 2023, triggering an internal investigation, as well as inspections by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), which licenses the health board’s post mortem procedures.

News of the second incident also prompted an unannounced visit from the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) in early April.

UKAS is not a regulatory body, but acts as a government-recognised, independent organisation commissioned to “assess against nationally and internationally agreed standards”.

At the Grange, its assessors found “evidence of a lack of standardisation” in the procedures for patient release, five months after the two “serious” incidents.

Deceased patients arriving at the mortuary from the community have different identification tags and paperwork from those who arrive there from the hospital, and there is also “inconsistency” with information added into the mortuary register, they said.

UKAS also raised concerns about a “lack of security measures in place”, including CCTV coverage, and no list of personnel with access to the facility.

In all, UKAS found seven “areas of improvement” and decided to partially suspend its accreditation of the Grange’s mortuary service, subject to review, over what an assessor called “serious concerns on security and safe patient management”.

A spokesman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said the two “unprecedented” incidents at the mortuary “were found to have the same root cause”.

He said the health board launched its own investigation, audited the department, and introduced safeguards against repeat incidents – and has to date completed 17 of 19 recommendations made by its own investigators.

Five further corrective actions mandated by licensing agency the HTA had been “met satisfactorily across the health board”, he added.

“It is important to note that UKAS is not a regulatory body, and that UKAS accreditation is not a mandatory requirement, but we voluntarily ask them to review our services to maintain good practice,” the spokesman said.

The health board is now making changes at the mortuary, based on several of the investigations’ findings.

“Enhanced CCTV is being implemented”, said the spokesman, adding that “all our mortuary sites are secure, with swipe card access in place”.

“In addition, all relevant procedures have been updated and staff have been given further training to provide additional assurance,” he said.

“We continue to address all recommendations from the HTA and UKAS, and a transformational team is working alongside our mortuary staff to deliver continued improvements.”

Reporting by Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter

ASTHMA hospitalisations among children in Wales nearly triple when they return to school in September, according to newly released data. The alarming trend has prompted leading health charity, Asthma + Lung UK Cymru, to urge parents and teachers to take precautions to protect young asthma sufferers.

The data, compiled by Digital Health and Social Care Wales, reveals that hospital admissions for children aged 5 to 19 increase by a staggering 175% in September compared to August. This spike in asthma-related hospitalisations has reached its highest level in four years, with admissions returning to pre-pandemic levels.

With an estimated 59,000 children in Wales diagnosed with asthma, the charity attributes the increase to a “perfect storm” of factors that coincide with the start of the school year. Many children, having fallen out of their regular medication routines over the summer holidays, return to school with poorly controlled asthma. The new term also brings increased exposure to triggers such as colds, flu viruses, dust mites, pollen, and even the emotional stress associated with returning to the classroom. These factors can lead to life-threatening asthma attacks or exacerbate symptoms like breathlessness, coughing, and wheezing.

One mother, Branwen Niclas from Anglesey, shared her experiences with her eight-year-old son, Huw, who was diagnosed with asthma in 2023. Huw has been hospitalised multiple times due to severe asthma attacks, including one in December 2022 that left him breathless and exhausted. “The autumn and winter school term is always a worry,” Niclas said. “Cold and wet weather really affects Huw’s asthma, and he often misses out on playing football with his friends.”

She recounted a particularly frightening episode when Huw, then six, deteriorated rapidly during a long car journey. “I could see his tummy and chest muscles were working so hard. Huw collapsed on the way out of the car, and I carried him in [to the hospital], and he was immediately put on a nebuliser. It took him a week to fully recover.”

Joseph Carter, Head of Asthma + Lung UK Cymru, expressed deep concern over the rising number of children being hospitalised. “Children’s asthma admissions are the highest in four years and are returning to pre-pandemic levels. We must break this trend,” Carter said. He highlighted the role of cold and flu viruses, which begin to circulate more widely as children mix at school after the summer break, as well as other potential triggers like high pollen levels and the use of cleaning products in schools.

To combat this worrying trend, Carter advised parents to ensure their children maintain their asthma treatment routines during the holidays and to make sure they have their reliever inhalers with them when they return to school. He also urged schools to be vigilant and prepared to act swiftly in case of an asthma emergency.

Asthma + Lung UK Cymru has issued additional guidance for parents, recommending that they arrange an asthma review for their child, update their child’s asthma action plan, and check the school’s policies regarding inhaler use.

For more information and advice on managing childhood asthma, parents can visit the Asthma + Lung UK website or contact their helpline.

The charity is also encouraging schools to download and display a free poster outlining the vital steps to take if a pupil has an asthma attack.

Asthma + Lung UK Cymru continues to campaign for better awareness and support for children with asthma, aiming for a world where everyone can breathe with healthy lungs.

THANKS to generous donations, Hywel Dda Health Charities – the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board – has purchased a state-of-the-art ultrasound system worth over £43,000 for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Glangwili Hospital.

An ultrasound scan, sometimes called a sonogram, is a procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of part of the inside of the body.

The new system features advanced clinical tools which enable fast assessments of patients, support clinical decision making, aid in performing invasive procedures, and help monitor patient progress.

The ultrasound system will be used daily for patient care and will also be used to train ICU staff and develop their skills.

Sarah Carmody, Service Manager – Critical Care, said: “We are so grateful that generous donations from our local communities have enabled us to purchase the new ultrasound system.

“It means our intensive care staff will have access to a mobile, multi-purpose ultrasound which reduces examination time and helps them conduct rapid assessments of patients receiving critical care.

“The new system has enhanced features such as the ability to communicate and store images within existing IT systems.

“It will greatly enhance patient care and diagnostics and help guide management of critically ill patients.”

Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, said: “The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”

http://www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.ukFor more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk