The deaths of four patients at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Denbighshire will be investigated further by a coroner, BBC Wales has reported. It comes after a review in January of this year found that a coroner was not fully informed of four patient deaths at the north Wales vascular service.
The inquests were opened by coroner John Gittins, in Ruthin, Denbighshire on Tuesday. Keith Hyde, Edmund Jones, Alan George, and Anthony Clemett were all being treated at the hospital for blood vessel and circulation problems.
A new model, which was reorganised in 2019, saw complex procedures at Wrexham Maelor Hospital in Wrexham and Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor being moved to the vascular service to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. But there had been concerns about the development of the new hub at the hospital in Bodelwyddan.
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Keith Hyde, who was a retired maintenance worker from Rhyl, died on December 5, 2020. Edmund Jones, who was a retired engineer also from Rhyl, died on November 22, 2020. Alan George, who was a retired electrician from Holywell in Flintshire, died on December 15, 2020, and Anthony Clemett – a retired teacher from Meifod in Powys, died on January 1, 2021.
The findings of the independent panel, which was commissioned by the health board, followed a previous report by the Royal College of Surgeons (England) which made 27 recommendations to improve vascular services in the health board area. The report presented nine urgent recommendations and other issues to the health board including the fact there were too many patients being transferred to the centralised hub as well as a lack of vascular beds and frequent delays in transfers. You can read more about the review here.
Mr Gittins told the court that the cases were referred to him following the reviews the health board had asked for. The review had looked at the clinical records of 44 patients regarding concerns around vascular care and treatment. He said: "The review identified four cases, which the health board decided should be given my further consideration and appropriately so".
According to the BBC he said initial inquiries found that it wasn't necessary for him to conduct further investigations into the deaths. However he said that matters were "best dealt with by further investigation".
He said: "As is sometimes the case there can be unnatural elements associated with a natural case of death and additional information from the health board review and medical records, plus concerns in relation to vascular services, resulted in my view that these were now matters best dealt with by further investigation and should take place by way of the opening of a coroner's inquest."
The coroner said he would deal with the cases individually but noted there would be an examination of all cases of a similar nature in relation to vascular services. The inquests were adjourned to future dates.
The inquest comes as the health board faces pressure over an unreleased report into its finances. In the Senedd on Tuesday the Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said that the report allegedly found that accounts were "deliberately falsified". It also claimed that millions were "posted wrongly" to avoid losing them by the end of the financial year.
Mr Price told the Senedd the report suggested a form of fraud. Earlier this month it was announced that a fraud probe at Betsi Cadwaladr had been dropped leaving former members of the health board, who were forced to resign when it went back into special measures, feeling "flabbergasted".
In response First Minister Mark Drakeford said he understood that disciplinary procedures were being instigated by the health board. "Actions flowing from the report are still very possible," he said.
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