Apology to 'ghost' scare patient

The hospital trust is trying to arrange a meeting with Mrs Davies

A hospital has apologised to a patient after a nurse claiming to be a medium said she had seen a ghost on a ward.

Gillian Davies, who was recovering from surgery, complained about the incident and the level of care she received at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Denbighshire.

An independent review ruled that the hospital "skirted over" the ghost incident, and the nursing care given to Mrs Davies fell below standard.

Mrs Davies, 48, of Mostyn, Flintshire, said she wanted lessons to be learned.

She was convalescing following an operation to remove one of her breasts when a nurse who claimed to be a medium said she had just seen a ghost.

We apologise to Ms Davies that the standards of care fell below her expectations during her stay in Glan Clwyd Hospital Jill Galvani, director of nursing

Mrs Davies said she was still suffering the effects of anaesthetic and thought it was a sign she was going to die.

She added: "I know it sounds silly now but I thought the ghost had come to get me.

"I was very vulnerable at the time."

Mrs Davies said she told another nurse in the morning what had happened and was told to ignore her.

But she made a formal complaint against Conwy and Denbighshire NHS trust about the ghost allegation incident, and other issues concerning her treatment.

Despite the sensitivity of her surgery, she said she was placed on a mixed ward at the hospital in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire.

She also claimed her case notes were left on the bed and she saw her biopsy results without any support.

Wound

Mrs Davies alleged a student nurse removed her dressing - which is denied by the trust - and left her alone when she saw her wound for the first time.

She also said she was left to dress herself, and to shower alone, and complained about cleanliness issues.

A review conducted by a senior clinical advisor from another health authority said "there is very little doubt that the nursing care experienced by Mrs Davies fell well below an acceptable standard".

The case of a nurse being a medium and seeing a ghost on the ward was "a rather strange issue", but it had been "completely skirted over" by the trust, the advisor said.

Apology

The report recommends the trust hold a meeting with Mrs Davies, chaired independently, to discuss the issues and give her a "fulsome apology".

Jill Galvani, director of nursing, said: "We apologise to Mrs Davies that the standards of care fell below her expectations during her stay in Glan Clwyd Hospital.

"We can confirm that a complaint made by Mrs Davies was referred for an independent review.

"This was referred back to the trust with a number of recommendations.

"We are now in the process of arranging a meeting with Ms Davies to discuss both her complaint and the clinical adviser's report."

The hospital said the nurse at the centre of the ghost allegation had been spoken to.

Mrs Davies added: "I am not after compensation or anything like that.

"I just want something done so that other women do not have to go through what I experienced."