North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has today urged the Health Minister, Vaughan Gething MS, to respond to serious concerns that non-Covid patients have been placed on wards with diagnosed Covid patients at Wrexham’s Maelor Hospital.
Speaking in the Welsh Parliament this afternoon, Mr Isherwood said he has been contacted by constituents concerned that family members have been put at risk when admitted to the Hospital for other conditions, and called on the Minister to address their concerns.
Mr Isherwood said:
“In late July, I was contacted by a constituent whose husband, with a non-Covid condition, had been told by Nurses that 3 Covid patients had been diagnosed on his ward at Wrexham Maelor Hospital. Only after my intervention was he moved to an adjacent single-bed side ward. He did not catch Covid-19.
“Last month, I was contacted by a constituent, stating that his Father, with a non-Covid condition, had been placed on the same Ward for three and a half days, that unknown to his father and family, some patients on the ward had Covid 19, and that his Father was then transferred to the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopedic Hospital, Gobowen, where he had a positive Covid 19 Test Result and had developed a worsening cough which was causing concern.
“How do you therefore respond to the son, who asked: ‘Why would you place an elderly man with orthopaedic issues on a Ward with known Covid 19 patents?’ ‘Why didn't they isolate him to prevent the risk of exporting a virus to a neighbouring Hospital in Shropshire?’ and why, despite the front line staff performing miracles, ‘the back room at Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board …. still cannot control cross contamination, health and hygiene, but also the safety and management of patents within their safe keeping?’.
In his response, the Health Minister said “I’m not familiar with the individual circumstances, or indeed, as I understand from what he said, as the constituent tested positive in the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt hospital, I'm not sure when the infection can be traced to” and that Members should take up any concerns with their local Health Board.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Isherwood said:
“The Health Minister needs to stop passing the buck and start taking responsibility.
“In reality, I took this up with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board a fortnight ago and my constituent wrote to both Mr Gething and the First Minister about this serious and urgent issue nearly three weeks ago.
“As his letter detailed: “Dad was taken to Wrexham Maelor Hospital Accident and Emergency and as a bed became available he was admitted. He was Covid checked by the Ambulance crew and staff at the Hospital and found to be negative…..Dad was transferred to Gobowen, the Ambulance crew informing my father of the strictness, hygiene and safety steps in place to prevent Covid 19/Corona Virus from entering their clean and sterile Hospital. Dad was accepted and the usual Covid tests and security was conducted with my Father being placed in a single room while they awaited the results…..This proved to be a Covid 19/Corona Positive Result….and now the hospital was contaminated with an unwanted gift from Wrexham Maelor Hospital.”