Three-quarters of investigations into why people caught Covid-19 in Welsh hospitals have not started, new figures have revealed. A Freedom of Information request by the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru group found that of the 19,537 investigations only 8.3% (1,619) have been completed, with a further 17.5% (3,142) in progress.
Swansea Bay University Health Board has only completed two of its 3,193 investigations, the least of any health board, while Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB has concluded just four of 3,642. The group claims the findings are "significant" given they were allegedly told a month ago by First Minister Mark Drakeford that the completed reports should be published as a matter of immediacy.
According to a report by Public Health Wales published in May, around a quarter of patients who 'probably' or 'definitely' caught Covid in hospital settings died within 28 days of their positive test. That equates to around 2,400 people. The report also showed that the proportion of deaths where coronavirus was acquired in healthcare settings was consistent with the level in community-acquired infections.
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Welsh Conservative and shadow health minister Russell George MS said: "Given a quarter of Covid deaths in Wales were down to hospital-acquired infections, it is only right that bereaved families get the answers they deserve on why this was allowed to happen.
"We need greater transparency from the Labour Government but also far more haste – that three-quarters of the investigations haven't even started yet suggest this is not a priority for ministers, and that they are content to let people wait years for answers about their loved ones' deaths.
"Sadly, Mark Drakeford has decided we will not have a Wales-specific Covid inquiry. We must hope that the UK-wide one will coax Cardiff Bay ministers to provide the information we need to scrutinise the Labour Welsh Government’s approach to Covid."
Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, from Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, added: "There have been failings across NHS Wales and care homes, and we are desperate for change so that other Welsh families do not have the horrific experience we have in losing a loved one, something we have told the First Minister.
"We believed that the nosocomial investigations were a start to ensuring that this happened. However, two-and-a-half years into the pandemic, only 1,619 investigations have been completed. The First Minister, when we met with him last month, agreed with us that there was no reason not to start reporting and implementing the recommendations now, but no families have been contacted and there have been no reports. With winter approaching it's vital that change happens now."
Aneurin Bevan UHB
Total incidents: 2,816
Not started: 2,512
In progress: 131
Downgraded/re-categorised: 173
Completed investigation: 0
Total completed: 173
% of completed investigations: 6.1%
% in progress of remaining cases: 5.0%
Betsi Cadwaladr UHB
Total incidents: 3,565
Not started: 2,808
In progress: 245
Downgraded/re-categorised: 294
Completed investigation: 218
Total completed: 512
% of completed investigations: 14.4%
% in progress of remaining cases: 8.0%
Cardiff and Vale UHB
Total incidents: 3,406
Not started: 2,434
In progress: 232
Downgraded/re-categorised: 351
Completed investigation: 389
Total completed: 740
% of completed investigations: 21.7%
% in progress of remaining cases: 8.7%
Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB
Total incidents: 3,642
Not started: 2,774
In progress: 864
Downgraded/re-categorised: 2
Completed investigation: 2
Total completed: 4
% of completed investigations: 0.1%
% in progress of remaining cases: 23.7%
Hywel Dda UHB
Total incidents: 2,586
Not started: 1,689
In progress: 763
Downgraded/re-categorised: 132
Completed investigation: 2
Total completed: 134
% of completed investigations: 5.2%
% in progress of remaining cases: 31.1%
Powys Teaching
Total incidents: 291
Not started: 0
In progress: 253
Downgraded/re-categorised: 14
Completed investigation: 24
Total completed: 38
% of completed investigations: 13.1%
% in progress of remaining cases: 100%
Swansea Bay
Total incidents: 3,193
Not started: 2,558
In progress: 633
Downgraded/re-categorised: 2
Completed investigation: 0
Total completed: 2
% of completed investigations: 0.1%
% in progress of remaining cases: 19.8%
Velindre
Total incidents: 38
Not started: 1
In progress: 21
Downgraded/re-categorised: 0
Completed investigation: 16
Total completed: 16
% of completed investigations: 42.1%
% in progress of remaining cases: 95.5%
Wales total
Total incidents: 19,537
Not started: 14,776
In progress: 3,142
Downgraded/re-categorised: 968
Completed investigation: 651
Total completed: 1,619
% of completed investigations: 8.3%
% in progress of remaining cases: 17.5%
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We are determined to investigate every case of healthcare-acquired Covid-19 infection and learn why it happened so we can do everything in our powers to prevent it from happening again.
“This is a complex piece of work which will take two years to complete. Hundreds of investigations have already been completed by NHS organisations, which have arrangements for patients and family contact including prioritising those who lost loved ones.
“All NHS organisations are required to report their progress and an interim national learning report will also be produced and published by the end of March 2023. This will be followed by a full end of programme national report in 2024.”
The Welsh Government added that since this FOI was carried out, there are now 3,208 investigations into healthcare-acquired Covid-19 under way (up from the 3,142 stated) and 2,311 investigations have been completed, up from 1,619.
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