Health
One in five preventable death reports related to Betsi
ONE IN FIVE of the preventable death reports issued by coroners across Wales and England last year related to Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, the Senedd heard.
Darren Millar raised alarm about high numbers of prevention of future death reports, which can be issued after inquests, questioning whether lessons are being learned in north Wales.
The Conservative MS for Clwyd West pointed to the case of Jennifer Trigger, a 71-year-old constituent, who died after suffering an acute stroke in January 2020.
Mr Millar said a coroner issued a Regulation 28 prevention of future death report last week.
He told the Senedd: “Due to a misunderstanding caused by the alert system in the Wrexham Maelor Hospital, the time-critical treatment that she was prescribed was not given until 11 hours after it should have been administered.”
Mr Millar called for a statement from the Welsh Government on what action is being taken by the health board, which has been in and out of special measures for a decade.
He said: “Last year some 21% of all prevention of future death reports issued by coroners across the whole of England and Wales were in respect of Betsi Cadwaladr.
“That is an astonishing statistic.”
Mr Millar added: “Now, clearly, we have to make sure that our NHS learns when issues like this occur and when reports of this nature are published.
“I cannot accept that it is appropriate that 21% of all of those reports which are being issued have been in respect of one single health board.”
During the Senedd’s business statement on March 12, Llŷr Gruffydd echoed calls for an update from the health minister on preventable death reports.
The Plaid Cymru MS, who represents North Wales, said: “They are there, of course, to help prevent future deaths and they clearly require urgent action by health boards.
“But, despite that statutory duty, there are worrying trends in north Wales.”
Mr Gruffydd told the chamber Betsi Cadwaladr accounted for 41% of all preventable death coroner reports in Wales, rising to 50% in 2021-22.
He said: “In the past nine months, Betsi Cadwaladr health board accounts for 80% of all of these preventable death reports in Wales – that’s 21 out of a total of 25.
“Now that to me points to a very serious ongoing problem in the north.”
Lesley Griffiths, who is Trefnydd, the Welsh Government’s business manager, similar to the leader of the house at Westminster, agreed that lessons have to be learned.
Ms Griffiths said she would ask Eluned Morgan, Wales’ health minister, to bring forward a written statement on prevention of future death reports.
Health
Calls for Welsh Govt to improve both maternity and neonatal safety
LEADING pregnancy charities have urged the Welsh Government to take stronger measures to enhance maternity and neonatal services, in order to realise the substantial changes necessary to reduce infant mortality. The Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit released a revealing report today, stating that initiatives in Wales are inadequate to instigate the vital transformation required to prevent baby deaths.
The report, titled “Saving Babies’ Lives 2024: Progress Report,” notes that strides toward diminishing stillbirths and neonatal deaths have halted in Wales, mirroring a stagnant situation across the UK. The findings suggest that with improved care, as many as 800 infant lives could have been saved throughout the UK last year. The document emphasises the urgent need for meaningful action to tackle the severe and enduring disparities in baby loss and pregnancy complications across different demographic groups.
Particularly alarming is the continuing disparity in outcomes for infants from varied ethnic backgrounds and socio-economic statuses. The report underscores that the stillbirth rate in Wales has exceeded that of any other UK nation since 2014, with minimal improvement in neonatal mortality rates over the past decade. Unlike England, which aims to halve the rates of stillbirth, neonatal death, preterm birth, maternal death, and brain injury by 2025 relative to 2010, Wales has set no similar goals.
Moreover, the report criticises the Welsh Government for the insufficient number of reviews conducted following infant deaths, which are crucial for understanding potential lessons and providing grieving parents with needed explanations.
Robert Wilson, head of the Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit, commented, “Our report unequivocally shows that the Welsh Government must establish clear targets for reducing pregnancy loss and baby deaths, and for eliminating inequalities. These targets should catalyse a thorough suite of policy measures, adequately supported by necessary funding and resources.”
The report provides specific recommendations to enhance maternity safety in Wales, including the consistent involvement of staff and patients, especially bereaved parents, in assessing the quality of maternity and neonatal services. It also calls for transparent and independently overseen reviews of individual services, and improvements in the completion rate of reviews following a baby’s death.
The Joint Policy Unit is advocating for a unified commitment across all four UK nations to eradicate inequalities in pregnancy and baby loss. Disturbingly, the 2021 data revealed that the rate of stillbirths and neonatal deaths among Black babies was almost double that of White babies, and significantly higher than the overall UK rate. This disparity was similarly stark between the most and least deprived areas in the UK.
The report also highlights that only about 2% of public and charity health research funding has been allocated to reproductive health and childbirth over the last two decades, signalling a need for increased investment in these crucial areas.
Charity
Charitable donations fund ambulatory heart monitors for Withybush Hospital
THANKS to generous donations, Hywel Dda Health Charities – the official charity of Hywel Dda Health Board – has funded 10 ambulatory heart monitors worth over £13,000 for Withybush Hospital’s Cardio-Respiratory Department.
The monitors are compact devices which are used to assess a patient’s heart rate and rhythm for a sustained amount of time.
The state-of-the-art monitors will help the Cardio-Respiratory Department provide the best possible service, with accurate, efficient and timely arrhythmia recognition provided on site or at home.
Rhys Bowen, Advanced Cardiac Physiologist, said: “We are so grateful that charitable donations from the local community have enabled us to buy the new monitors.
“The monitors are more adaptable to each patient’s presenting symptoms which will enhance the quality of the data gathered.
“They are more patient-friendly and easier to wear for the duration of the test, so there will be less need for repeat monitoring. They will also support quicker in-patient discharge due to an increase in the number of available monitors and the fact they can be worn by the patient at home and provide remote monitoring.”
Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, 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.”
For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, visit here.
Health
High pollen counts forecast for Wales this week
CURRENT forecasts are for high pollen counts from today until Sunday across Wales, and airborne allergens expert has said. Max Wiseberg added: “This is not good news for hay fever sufferers across Wales. The main culprit is oak pollen which is now in peak season and there are some early grass pollens.”
Max continues, “However, better news is that, whilst there is no cure for hay fever, there are many measures and precautions you can take to help reduce the effects of the pollen. Although many hay fever sufferers find that nothing really works or that some remedies help, but nothing does the whole job, or what worked last year doesn’t work today, there is another way. A novel approach is to combine products for greater effect, and create your own ‘Hay Fever First Aid Kit’.”
“So if nothing works on its own, or your symptoms are particularly severe on a given day, create your own Hay Fever First Aid Kit, in other words use a combination of products, which can be complementary to one another. I suggest that your ideal Hay Fever First Aid Kit will consist of a prevention, such as HayMax organic drug-free allergen barrier balm, one (and only one) antihistamine, one (and only one) nasal spray, eye drops and one or more other natural products,”
Max goes on to explain how all the elements of a Hay Fever First Aid Kit work:
“The first thing is to avoid the pollen in the first place with an organic allergen barrier balm such as HayMax applied around the nostrils and bones of the eyes to help stop pollen getting in.”
“There are several forms of medication you can take that seek to reduce the effects of the pollen on the body.
- Try an antihistamine, to counteract the effects of too many histamines, the body’s reaction to too much pollen; the most common are acrivastine, cetirizine, chlorphenamine, desloratadine, fexofenadine and loratadine.
- Use a steroid nasal spray, which works by fighting inflammation and mucus production, helping clear nasal symptoms – itching, sneezing, watering and congestion.
- Eye drops work in one of three ways; some stop the histamine release, some are anti-inflammatory and others block the inflammation caused by histamine.
- There are several types of each, so if one doesn’t work particularly well or stops working, it’s worth trying another.”
“There are many other drug-free and natural products available for hay fever sufferers.
- Quercetin is thought to limit the release of histamine; found naturally in many foods, it can also be taken in a capsule.
- Butterbur is a herbal extract believed to have an antihistamine-like effect on hay fever symptoms and is available in capsules.
- Immune boosting wellness formulae, such as Bee Prepared Daily Defence Immune Support which contains only all natural ingredients that help support the immune system, help the body fight the effects of the pollen.”
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