Health board chair attends final meeting before stepping down

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The outgoing chair of Gwent’s NHS board has been thanked at her final meeting of the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. 

Ann Lloyd was praised for her leadership and support of the body that runs NHS services and hospitals in Gwent – but there was no mention of the recent sterilisation scandal at Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital, where 21 patients were treated with unsterilised surgical tools.

The instruments, which were disinfected but not sterilised on February 24, were used in operations and examinations on February 25 and 26.

The mistake was discovered on February 27, but patients were not informed until Monday March 16.

The board, which is responsible for overseeing how services are provided and managed, met for the first time in public since the revelation at its monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 25.

At the start of the meeting, chair Ms Lloyd and chief executive Nicola Prygodzicz both addressed board members with updates on their recent activity but neither mentioned the failings identified at the Royal Gwent. 

Ms Lloyd said she’d met with MPs to discuss children’s services in north Gwent and GP partnerships, and also spoke about changes in how health boards work together and governance arrangements. 

Ms Prygodzicz said the board has been “extremely busy” preparing for the coming financial year and how it can improve services “balanced” with financial constraints. 

Independent board member Phil Robson said he wanted to mark the fact the March meeting is Ms Lloyd’s last as chair as her term of office comes to an end. He thank Ms Lloyd on behalf of staff, board members and the citizens of Gwent.  

Ms Prygodzicz meanwhile praised the chair’s “commitment to public service” and said: “You’ve been a huge support to all of us, a vital critical friend and a voice of calm when needed.” 

Ms Lloyd replied: “You can’t do it without a good team and that’s what we have.” 

In her announcements Ms Prygodzicz also said she had visited community pharmacies teams and also the site of the new Velindre Cancer Centre, in Cardiff, that is currently under construction and said: “40% of activity there will be for Aneurin Bevan residents. It’s a strength of the way we work together as a region.”

She also said there had been a “much more positive uptake” in the recent staff survey and feedback would provide information on areas to improve and there were also “positive outcomes” from it.

Earlier this month, the Welsh Government confirmed the appointment of Andrew Morgan, who is currently the leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, as the health board’s new chair. The Labour councillor will take up his post in May. 

Mr Morgan has announced he will step down from his council leader role in April, and will step down as a councillor altogether at the council elections next year. He also confirmed he will resign from his role at the WLGA following May’s Senedd election.