In its latest report, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales has found little improvement at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board’s Royal Glamorgan Hospital. 

Following an unannounced inspection of mental health services at Royal Glamorgan Hospital, managed by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) has identified a range of significant concerns affecting patient safety and the quality of care.

It has raised significant environmental, infection prevention and control, and workforce safety concerns. These included environmental issues across all wards, such as damage to fixtures and fittings, infection prevention and control risks, and unresolved ligature risks where patients could potentially harm themselves. Estates records highlighted multiple unresolved urgent and high-risk maintenance issues, alongside longstanding concerns and capacity pressures within estates services.

Inspectors also identified low compliance with key safety-critical mandatory training, including life support, restraint, moving and handling, and fire safety. No staff had completed training in the safe use of portable oxygen cylinders, and inspectors were unable to confirm whether untrained staff had been involved in restraint incidents. 

Similar concerns were identified during a previous HIW inspection in 2023, indicating that risks previously escalated had not been effectively mitigated or sustained over time. These findings reduced assurance that staff were consistently equipped to respond safely in high-risk situations. 

“The health board has not sustained improvements previously made in relation to significant issues, and long-standing estates and environmental risks remain,” said HIW chief executive Alun Jones. 

“We expect the health board to take sustained action to address these concerns and ensure patients receive safe, high-quality care,” he continued. 

HIW has set out clear expectations for improvement and will continue to monitor the health board’s progress in implementing and sustaining the required actions