Bosses at Wales' largest hospital called in police amid fears of 'sabotage'

FURTHER details have emerged after allegations of staff at Wales’ biggest hospital inviting members of the public into operating theatres to watch surgery on patients they did not know.

- CONOR GOGARTY

Today, the Western Mail can also reveal details about a separate case of suspected sabotage at the hospital, which led to a police investigation. That incident remains unsolved.

Last week, we called for Cardiff and Vale health board to reveal the findings of its investigation into reports of unauthorised visitors watching operations at the University Hospital of Wales. Shortly afterwards the health board’s chief operating officer Paul Bostock wrote to all theatre staff detailing the investigation outcome.

The probe concluded there was one such incident in March 2021, during Covid-19 restrictions, when “two former employees arranged for two members of the public to attend the theatre department as part of a pre-recruitment exercise”. and “authorisation was sought from the line manager for this visit to take place on a weekend”.

Mr Bostock said the intent was to help applicants for theatre assistant roles “better understand the demands of the job” but he added that “the failure to follow procedures and processes was wholly inappropriate” and that a disciplinary process is under way “for some individuals”.

Hospital sources have disputed the findings, claiming there were at least three incidents of staff inviting their own friends and family members to watch operations, and that patients were not aware.

In a leaked email, Mr Bostock said the patient “verbally consented to the visitors being in theatre before they were present and were advised that they would not be present during the operation”.

But when we asked if the visitors did watch the operation, the health board said it was “not in a position to share this” because of HR practice.

Earlier this year a damning report into the hospital’s operating theatres revealed some staff had been working against each other, and that one manager had “actively sabotaged” a colleague.