Tawel Fan investigator 'happy to review progress' after staff concerns at neighbouring unit
The lead investigator who uncovered ‘institutional abuse’ at a north Wales health board says she would be ‘happy to return & review progress’.
Donna Ockenden’s comments on Twitter came in response to a tweet regarding fresh details about staff fears for patient safety at Hergest mental health unit in Bangor.
Ms Ockenden was responsible for investigating Tawel Fan ward of the Ablett Unit at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. Her first report into the unit was completed in September 2014 – eight months after the Robin Holden report into Hergest was finalised.
While the Robin Holden report has never been made public by the health board, Donna Ockenden’s investigation into Tawel Fan from the same period was made public. In 2015, just a few months after concerns at Tawel Fan were made public, Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board was put into special measures.
Responding to one twitter user, Ms Ockenden said: “N Wales and Betsi Cadwaladr are [very] important to me.” She added: “I met hundreds of residents [and] staff in writing my last report & making very clear recommendations. I would be [very] happy to return & review progress."
Ms Ockenden said: “Hopefully we [would] see change & progress?”
There have been multiple public reports into Tawel Fan – two of which were conducted by Ms Ockenden. A third report, by an organisation called HASCAS, was also completed.
On Friday ITV News revealed never-before-seen testimony from staff at the Hergest Unit in 2014. The testimonies included how staff were “fearful” for their jobs and described how they felt unable to care for patients as well as they might have wanted because of the pressures that were put on them by management.
Responding to those concerns on Friday, the interim chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Simon Dean, said: “We have a duty of care to our employees and are concerned that publishing this full report would breach the confidence of those members of staff who contributed to it.
“Since this report was produced in 2014, we have taken a range of actions to improve standards of care on the Hergest Unit. Reports from unannounced inspections of the unit by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales show that standards of care, staff morale and leadership arrangements have improved in recent years."
Mr Dean said recruitment issues have improved and they are using patient feedback to "drive up standards of care," adding: "Consultant medical cover has also improved and all posts in the West area are currently filled. Through service user and carer organisation Caniad we are using feedback from patients on the Hergest Unit to drive up standards of care. This feedback shows that while we do not always get things right, patients are generally very positive about the care that they have received.
"We encourage anyone with concerns about the care that they or a loved one have received to contact us directly."