THE outgoing chair of Gwent’s NHS board has been thanked at her final meeting of the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

Ann Lloyd was praised and thanked for her leadership and support of the body that runs NHS services and hospitals in Gwent – though there was no mention of the revelation there had been errors in sterilising equipment at Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital.

Across two days in February of this year, unsterilised equipment had been used “repeatedly” during procedures at the hospital, before the oversight was recognised on February 27 but only exposed after it was reported in the Press.

The board, which is responsible for overseeing how services are provided and managed, met for the first time in public since the revelation at its monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 25 at St Cadoc’s Hospital, Caerleon.

At the start of the meeting chair Ms Lloyd and chief executive Nicola Prygodzicz both addressed board members with updates on their recent activity but neither mentioned the failings identified at the Royal Gwent.

Ms Lloyd said she’d met with MPs to discuss children’s services in north Gwent and GP partnerships and also spoke about changes in how health boards work together and governance arrangements.

Chief executive Ms Prygodzicz said the board has been “extremely busy” preparing for the coming financial year and how it can improve services “balanced” with financial constraints.

Independent board member Phil Robson said he wanted to mark the fact the March meeting is Ms Lloyd’s last as chair as her term of office comes to an end.

Earlier this month it was announced the Welsh Government has appointed Andrew Morgan, who is currently the leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, as the health board’s new chair. The Labour councillor will take up his post in May.

Mr Robson said he wanted to thank Ms Lloyd on behalf of staff, board members and the citizens of Gwent.

He said: “It would be remis of us not to mark your incredible contribution in providing amazing leadership these last nine years.”

He said thanks were due from board members, staff and “probably the biggest thank you should come from the citizens of Gwent.”

Ms Prygodzicz praised the chair’s “committment to public service” and said: “You’ve been a huge support to all of us, a vital critical friend and a voice of calm when needed.”

Ms Lloyd replied: “You can’t do it without a good team and that’s what we have.”

In her announcements Ms Prygodzics also said she had visited community pharmacies teams and also the site of the new Velindre Cancer Centre, in Cardiff, that is currently under construction and said: “40 per cent of activity there will be for Aneurin Bevan residents. It’s a strength of the way we work together as a region.”

She also said there had been a “much more positive uptake” in the recent staff survey and feedback would provide information on areas to improve and there were also “positive outcomes” from it.