Covid: Nurse who died from virus told to go home with fever

A nurse who died from Covid was told to go home after he developed a fever at work, an inquest has heard.

Deputy sister Laura Morgan was in charge of University Hospital of Wales' (UHW) Heulwen ward, which was looking after Covid patients in 2020.

On 25 March, Ms Morgan saw Gareth Roberts, from Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and another member of staff taking their temperatures on the ward.

The inquest heard that when she told him to go he replied he was fine.

"I said 'it doesn't matter, you need to go'," Ms Morgan told the hearing in Pontypridd.

"He pulled a face when I suggested he should leave. I told him he needed to go home and be swabbed."

Ms Morgan confirmed this was an instruction.

"He's an adult, a registered nurse, I didn't need to escort him," she said.

She insisted ward PPE procedures were thorough to protect patients and staff.

Ms Morgan said the 65-year-old, who died on April 11, 2020, was not allocated to Heulwen ward so she had not given him any work.

Heulwen ward manager Susanna Mathew told the inquest Mr Roberts had been moved there because of a staffing shortage on the day.

On Monday the inquest heard from Rhian Aguilar, who said she also fell ill with Covid.

She told the inquest the day Mr Roberts was sent home from work she noticed he was "flushed" and told him: "I hope you haven't got Covid."

He replied he had a temperature over 38C but had not gone home because he was approaching the end of his shift.

Nurse Malcolm Chalk worked at UHW with Mr Roberts in the months before his death.

On Tuesday, Mr Chalk, 65, told the hearing Mr Roberts "seemed fine" the day he became ill.

"We both went sick the following day, maybe it's how Covid presents itself," he said.

Mr Chalk recalled a talk with Mr Roberts when they were being moved to work on a Covid ward.

"Gareth said 'I'm not going down to Heulwen because I'm at risk'. I got the impression he was going home."

The inquest continues.