A review into surgical theatre at the Heath hospital in Wales has found a number of issues, including racism, illegal drugs and rampant theft. A spokesperson has said that all recommendations will be considered moving forward.
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00:00A review into operating theatres at Wales' largest hospital has revealed reports of theft, drug use and inappropriate behaviour among staff.
00:10The report covering theatres at the University Hospital in Wales in Cardiff here behind me found some staff felt that serious incidents were not addressed by managers, including multiple thefts and the discovery of illegal drugs in a staff locker.
00:22There were also claims that some anaesthetic practitioners were not present in theatre throughout entire procedures and instead watched Netflix in the anaesthetic room.
00:32The report said that theft had become so common that some female staff no longer felt safe leaving valuables in changing rooms with items like phones, computers and money going missing regularly while on shift.
00:44The review concluded that there had been a systemic failure in the senior leadership team, perioperative directorate and surgical clinical board, with a culture described as falling below accepted moral and ethical standards.
00:57The review stated that the focus on improving efficiency has impacted staff morale and led to a breakdown in communication and trust.
01:05Cardiff and the Vale University Health Board said it was sorry to those affected and that it would take forward the report's recommendations.
01:12Chief Executive Suzanne Rankin said more than a third of staff contributed to the findings, which identified failures in leadership, variable policy compliance and issues around workplace culture.
01:24The Health Board carries out around 30,000 surgical procedures each year and said the number of incidents reported was small in proportion, but that all concerns would be taken seriously.
01:34A detailed action plan is now being drawn up to address quality and safety issues across the service.
01:40James P. Watkins, Boiser for Local TV and the Heath Hospital.