Hospital blunder sees 21 patients operated on with unsterilised instruments

A MAJOR failing at a Welsh hospital led to 21 patients undergoing operations with unsterilised surgical tools.

- CONOR GOGARTY Investigations editor

The Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport and, inset, Aneurin Bevan UHB medical director Dr Seema Srivastava

The Echo can today reveal the procedures took place at Newport's Royal Gwent Hospital across two days - February 25 and 26 this year - before the blunder was discovered on the 27th.

Last week a whistleblower told us they were concerned that the affected patients had still not been informed despite a risk of serious infection from the instruments, which we understand had previously been used in other operations.

The whistleblower also claimed management had warned staff not to speak to the press about what happened.

After we approached the hospital for comment last Friday, it asked us to hold off on publishing so that patients could be informed.

The hospital pledged to contact all affected patients by the end of yesterday and that the delay in doing so was purely a case of ensuring the correct information was given to the correct patients. Some are now anxiously awaiting tests.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, which runs the hospital, told us there was an incident on February 24 in which surgical instruments were disinfected but not put through a key sterilisation procedure.

Those tools were then used in operations, leading to a risk of blood-borne viruses such as HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C being transmitted.

"There is a potential but extremely low risk," said the health board's medical director Dr Seema Srivastava.

"We are very sorry this has occurred and for the distress caused to those affected and their families.