Father reacts with 'fury' that Welsh Government hasn't done review into maternity services failings

The father of a severely disabled boy says he's reacted with 'fury' following allegations that the Welsh Government hasn't conducted a review into maternity services after promising to do so.

Robert Channon's son Gethin was born with severe brain damage after complications during his birth at Singleton Hospital in 2019.  The four-year-old's condition means he requires round-the-clock care.

Last year an external review of services was carried out by a top UK maternity expert who believed there were serious concerns around Gethin's maternity care.

That then led to Gethin's family calling on the Welsh Government to conduct their own review of services, which it said it would commit to.

The whole matter of a review came about following the maternity care Gethin Channon received when he was born in 2019.

However freedom of information requests, as well as internal Welsh Government emails, have showed a review into the service at Swansea Bay Health Board has not taken place.

Gethin's father Robert has said this fills him with fury.

"What happened to Gethin that day, the mistakes that were made has had a lifelong impact on him. He's non-verbal, he's non-mobile.

"His whole future was essentially destroyed and we proved to the Welsh Government that Gethin wasn't alone, there are serious issues in that maternity unit.

"When we originally read that they were going to commission this review into instances like the one that happened to Gethin, we were delighted, we thought they can learn lessons and make sure it never happens to another child in Swansea.

"When we found out a couple of weeks ago that they didn't do it, [my response] was fury."

The Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister says the Health Minister must hold a review into maternity services.

The Conservative MS, Russell George, has hit out at the Health Minister saying she has failed to admit that mistakes have been made by her department in making sure maternity services are safe enough in Wales.

"Ultimately the Minister should hold her hands up and say that there was a mistake made here, but the Minister hasn't done that.

"I think what parents would want when going into a maternity service is to have the assurance that there's going to be a safe service available to them.

"But unfortunately if the Minister can't provide that level of assurance, as she wasn't able to this week then of course that's a huge area of concern.

"That's exactly why I think there needs to be a much broader review of maternity services right across Wales, particularly in Swansea Bay."

On Wednesday 22 November, Eluned Morgan took questions from Mr George in the Senedd, saying that her department takes the issue around maternity services very seriously.

"I can assure you that my officials are keeping a very close eye on the situation in Swansea. We are very aware of the situation of what's gone on in this particular circumstance as well.

The Health Minister answering questions from Russell George in the Senedd about maternity services.

"That's why we are paying a lot of attention to what we need to do to improve in particular the staffing issue in Swansea as we are with other maternity departments across Wales. So my officials are in touch with the Health Board in particular on this issue of how we improve maternity outcomes in Swansea.

"We know that if you get anything in relation to maternity issues wrong, that the consequences can be devastating and that's why it makes absolutely no sense for us to focus the way we have done in Cwm Taf Morgannwg and take that learning and spread it across Wales.

"I can assure you that we've actually put significant additional funding in to try and raise the standards not just in Cwm Taf Morgannwg but also in Swansea and across the rest of Wales.

In response to criticism around maternity services, a Swansea Bay Health Board spokesperson has said:

"Maternity services have faced significant staffing pressures over the last few years.

"However, since September the health board has recruited an additional 23 midwives, 21 of whom are already in place with two due to follow in December.

Questions were raised about maternity services at the Singleton Hospital where Gethin Channon was born and elsewhere across the healthboard.

"Also, since early summer we have taken on an additional 13 maternity care assistants to support our midwives.

"We commissioned an independent external report from the Wales Maternity and Neonatal Network in 2022.

"The conclusion to the report stated: “The panel saw evidence of a health board that delivers a culture of patient safety and prioritises opportunities for improvement through reflecting on data and lessons learned through adverse events.

"The health board actively encourages staff to record all incidents, serious or otherwise. More serious incidents are formally investigated.

"However, the majority are categorised as green. This is where no harm has been caused but they are still reviewed to ensure continuous improvement.

"This was identified as good practice in the Wales Maternity and Neonatal Network report.

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