There is "serious concern" that black, Asian, and ethnic minority women are being treated differently at Wales' largest hospital. A report released on Wednesday said the maternity department at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff needs "urgent improvement" after a number of issues relating to patient safety and staff morale were identified by inspectors.
One of the concerns identified by inspectors from Healthcare Inspectorate Wales was the feeling from some black, Asian, and ethnic minority women that they were being treated differently. Inspectors said this was of "serious concern" and the health board have since implemented a number of initiatives to improve their experience. The report said it is vital these improvements are sustained.
The report was released following an expectation which was carried out in March 2023,after an unannounced inspection in November 2022 identified a number of concerns around patient safety. The report said while some improvements had been made in the several months between the two visits there were still a number of issues that needed addressing. However the report commended how hard staff worked in the conditions that they were in, adding that staff members went "above and beyond" to ensure their patients were well cared for.
