In February 2025, the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales did an unannounced inspection of maternity services at Ysbyty Gwynedd in North Wales, part of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
The report that followed identified several areas where the hospital’s practices were poor. They found that the care of patients was not being handed over to other doctors or midwives effectively, especially when patients were being induced or where they were particularly high risk. This led to failures in managing patient risks appropriately.
The second major failing was that the obstetricians (the doctors in charge of the maternity unit) were not keeping their training up to date. There was evidence of only 14% compliance with Basic Life Support training, and a 44% training completion for Growth Assessment Protocol (GAP) and CTGs. Whilst all of the doctors would have had extensive training on GAP and CTGs previously, it is very important that doctors keep their training up to date as protocols and the equipment being used get updated regularly. These are also 2 vital areas of assessing the health of a baby during pregnancy and labour, with any interpretation mistakes leading to potentially devastating consequences.
Alongside the two failings above, there were many other concerns identified, such as issues with making sure patients can make informed choices, issues with staffing levels and high demands on staff, staff concerns that they are not able to provide the level of service that they want to provide, issues with lack of translation services and concerns about triage abilities in the maternity outpatient unit. Many other concerns were also identified.
What does this mean for Ysbyty Gwynedd’s patients?
These failings are consistent with the findings of the Ockenden Review, Derby and Burton review, and the Kirkup Inquiry, and continue to highlight the need for an overhaul of the maternity services within the NHS to ensure that patient safety is prioritised and avoidable harm reduced.
The team at Enable Law are representing several families who have suffered baby loss or injuries to their babies because of failings within the maternity unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd.
Enable Law’s client, Rachel Owen, had her daughter Anni, at Ysbyty Gwynedd in 2021. Sadly, Anni died shortly after birth, and a claim is currently being investigated. Rachel said: “I am frustrated that the changes that the hospital identified as being needed following Anni’s death in 2021 still haven’t been made, but I hope that this unannounced inspection and report lead to some positive change in Ysbyty Gwynedd.”
How we can help
If you are concerned about the care that you received during your pregnancy or during the birth of your baby at Ysbyty Gwynedd, please contact Jennifer Janes or Nicola Rawlinson-Weller or one of our specialist baby loss team member who will work with you to determine whether there may be a case to be pursued. Our team will never push you for information you are not ready to share and will help you make sense of what may have happened. If a claim can be pursued, we will do our best to guide you through the process in the most sensitive way possible respecting the impact your loss has had on you and your family. To speak to us call us on 0800 044 8488 or fill in our contact form so we can call you back at a time convenient for you.
