A woman has spoken out about being dropped from an operating table while unconscious during surgery at the University Hospital of Wales, saying the health board downplayed the incident and that she has been left in "unbearable" pain.
The patient, in her 50s, was undergoing gallbladder removal on June 5 when she fell from the table while under general anaesthetic. She told WalesOnline she was not securely strapped to the table, and the fall left her with severe right shoulder pain, contradicting the health board's claim that she suffered no injuries.
Fall and aftermath
The patient arrived at the Cardiff hospital around 3.30pm expecting to go home by 6pm, but instead was kept under for around seven hours. She woke to the anaesthetist saying: "I'm ever so sorry. We dropped you from the table."
The fall was about four feet, and the patient made contact with the floor, though not at full impact. A whistleblower said the theatre manager ran out shouting "a patient's fallen on the floor", and staff had to help put her back on the table before continuing surgery.
Because laparoscopic ports inside her touched the floor, she had to stay overnight for intravenous antibiotics and take antibiotic pills for a week after discharge. Medics told her a chest strap had come loose about 30 minutes into surgery while the table was tilted, and a medic had tried to catch her but she still hit the floor.
Health board's response
The health board described the incident as "a controlled slip from the operating table rather than an uncontrolled fall" and claimed "clinical teams identified no injuries from the slip and the patient was discharged as expected post-surgery". The patient disputed this, noting she spent a night on a drip and has had "unbearable" shoulder pain since.
She said she had already had some discomfort in her right shoulder before the fall, but the pain has worsened significantly. Her chiropractor believes she has thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition caused by injury that involves squashing of nerves or blood vessels. She is still awaiting a scan.
"I'm beside myself with pain," she said. "Painkillers aren't helping at all." She also felt "very let down" after chasing the internal investigation for four weeks with no update, only hearing back hours after WalesOnline raised the matter. The health board said the investigation would conclude by September 4.
Broader hospital crisis
The incident is the latest in a series of alarming events at the hospital. Earlier this year, a surgical swab was left in a patient's throat for over 24 hours. Last year, an internal report found illegal drug use and other potential crimes were tolerated by management, and the department lacked an "open and transparent safety culture".
The health board has been in level four escalation since June 2025, one step short of special measures. Recent scandals include unauthorised visitors watching operations, an employee avoiding suspension despite arrest on suspicion of rape, and a patient dying after being wrongly injected with insulin.
Almost 300 doctors wrote a letter accusing the health board of inaction, with staff morale at an "all-time low". The hospital's dilapidated condition is understood to have contributed to Wales losing a vital £8m cancer facility.
Official statement
Executive nurse director Jason Roberts said: "Patient safety remains our highest priority and we are committed to learning from incidents and continuously improving the quality and safety of the care we provide."
He added: "We remain committed to openness and transparency with patients and families and to ensuring that concerns are appropriately recognised, reviewed and responded to."
The health board denied the incident meets the criteria for a "never event", but said it is "subject to appropriate review to understand what happened and identify any learning". It did not respond to questions about discrepancies between its claims and the patient's account.
