Baby unit staff’s Christmas party called off by hotel
HOSPITAL staff who care for severely ill and premature babies have had their Christmas party cancelled at the last minute.
Doctors, nurses and midwives at the neonatal unit at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital were looking forward to a festive do at The Village Hotel in Coryton, Cardiff, next Wednesday.
It is the last time the team will ever have a Christmas party together as the unit is set to close in the spring following a shake-up of maternity services across South Wales.
But due to dropouts from other customers, the hotel made the decision to cancel their booking – leaving them without a venue just two weeks before the event.
One nurse who has worked at the Royal Glamorgan, near Llantrisant, for almost a decade said: “We wanted this Christmas party to be special as it’s our last one as a team at the Royal Glamorgan. We needed to have it on that specific day so 20 members of staff could have time off and that the rota was still covered.
“When The Village rang to say they had cancelled our booking it was gutting. It’s stressful enough trying to find a place that’s central enough for all of us as staff come from all over South Wales.”
It is understood that The Village initially offered the group an all-inclusive package which included a threecourse meal, a disco and free drinks all evening.
The hotel then informed the group that, due to licensing issues, their offer would be reduced to a three-course meal and eight drinks vouchers – an offer they were happy to accept.
But as a result of this change, it is alleged other guests were unhappy and cancelled their bookings, leaving the hotel no choice but to cancel the event entirely on that day.
The nurse added: “We were more than happy with eight drinks vouchers instead, but clearly others weren’t. It was such a pain. It’s not like we can just arrange to have it another day as there won’t be suitable cover on the unit.”
After voicing their frustrations on Facebook, the NHS workers were inundated with offers from other pubs, restaurants and venues to accommodate them. One nurse’s post online was shared more than 3,000 times.
Eventually, the team settled on Park Plaza on Greyfriars Road in Cardiff.
“We were so relieved to find somewhere else with the same sort of thing,” the nurse added. “We had so many lovely suggestions and messages. Some places even offered to open especially for us.”
Most of the staff currently working at the Royal Glamorgan neonatal unit will be transferred to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil once it shuts next year.
A spokesperson from The Village Hotel said: “We were disappointed to have had to cancel the event. We have been in contact with all our customers that were affected and offered alternative options and events, including the party in question.
“We worked hard to find an alternative option for them, but unfortunately we were unable to find a suitable solution.
“We have since given them a full refund. We’re very pleased that they have been able to find an alternative, and hope they have a fantastic night.”