A review has found that a coroner was not fully informed of four patient deaths at a vascular service in north Wales. A independent panel has urged Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to improve its vascular service at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Denbighshire.
It comes after the health board commissioned reports after there were concerns about the development of a new hub at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. The 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 the hospital in Bodelwyddan.
The findings of the independent panel, which was commissioned by the health board, follows an earlier 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.
