'Psychic' nurse told patients there was a ghost on the ward

It is claimed a nurse told Welsh patients recovering from surgery that she had seen a ghost on a hospital ward.

An official complaint has been made after a nurse apparently told terrified patients at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan that she had just seen a ghost.

The episode caused one woman, who had just had traumatic surgery to remove one of her breasts, so much distress that she lodged an official complaint.

Gillian Davies, 48, of Mostyn, said that at the time she was still suffering the effects of anaesthetic and thought it was a sign that she was going to die.

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

"I was very vulnerable at the time.

"It would be funny if it was not so serious.

"But at the time I didn't know if I was going to live or die," she explained.

Mrs Davies says that the nurse came running down the corridor and said that she had seen a ghost.

"She said she had seen a spirit but not to worry, that she was a medium.

"The nurse told us that she was psychic, and that it was alright, she only saw friendly spirits."

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

Mrs Davies made a formal complaint against the Conwy and Denbighshire NHS trust about the ghost incident, and other issues that concerned her about her treatment.

Now the trust is being recommended to hold a meeting with Mrs Davies, chaired by an independent person, to discuss the issues.

The meeting would also provide an opportunity for the trust to give her "a fulsome apology", according to a senior clinical adviser who looked into the case.

An independent review of her allegations has found that the nursing care she experienced fell well below an acceptable standard and that the trust investigation into the allegations were both superficial and incomplete.

Mrs Davies, a social services manger, told how her experience at the hospital had been a nightmare at what was a difficult time in her life.

"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," said Mrs Davies, currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment again this week.

"The episode with the psychic nurse was creepy and scary but hospital bosses only spoke to the nurse - they didn't discipline her."

Mrs Davies said that she reluctantly returned to the hospital for treatment for an infected wound.

But she was so glad that she was on a different ward where she was treated with care and compassion.

She said that she had been left traumatised by her original treatment at the hospital and but for her consultant and a breast care nurse, would not have been able to cope.

Jill Galvani, Director of Nursing, said: "We apologise to Ms 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."