Swansea Bay health board in Wales is under fire for mistreating patients who were waiting for knee and hip surgeries. According to a report by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, three patients were removed from the waiting list in error, causing them to wait for over five years before receiving their surgeries. The health board is already under Welsh government oversight due to concerns about bringing down waiting times. The ombudsman’s investigation found that the patients had their hopes falsified by the health board and that the management of the waiting list was unsatisfactory.
One patient, referred to as Mrs B in the report, was in severe pain due to her hip condition while waiting since 2018 for her surgeries. She had to wait for more than five years after the left hip was treated before receiving treatment for both hips. Meanwhile, a Mr C had to wait for three years and seven months for surgery to his left hip, despite being assessed as needing it within one month. Lastly, Mr D was taken off the waiting list for shoulder surgery due to his missed surgical appointments, despite already undergoing treatment for another illness in the hospital.
The ombudsman’s report recommended that the health board should review its decisions and audit all waiting lists to check for similar errors. The report also found that all patients waiting for orthopaedic surgery had to endure long delays, caused by staffing shortages, a lack of operating spaces, and unclear management. While the health board has apologised and accepted the report’s recommendations, Health Minister Eluned Morgan targeted the intervention on Tuesday, in part because of insufficient progress on bringing down waiting times for patients.
The health board said that it was checking its orthopaedic waiting lists to ensure no other similar cases. It added that orthopaedic services currently were under enormous pressure but hoped that no patients would have to wait for more than three years by the end of March. Meanwhile, the patients who were unfairly treated are receiving their operations, with the health board saying it would expedite their care if similar cases arise
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