Bereaved relatives who lost loved ones to Covid are left horrified by pandemic morgue photos 

Furious relatives who lost loved ones to Covid-19 slammed a health board yesterday over claims photographs were taken of dying and deceased patients without their knowledge.

The pictures were captured by an employee and amateur photographer given access to at least two NHS hospitals in Wales for books and exhibitions.

The campaign group, Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, found up to 7,000 pictures had been taken on wards after Glenn Dene posted an image of a patient in a body bag on Twitter last month.

The pictures were captured by an employee and amateur photographer given access to at least two NHS hospitals in Wales for books and exhibitions (stock photo used)

Further images and videos appeared on his YouTube channel and website.

Over much of the pandemic, relatives were banned by NHS hospitals in Wales from visiting loved ones in their final days.

Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees, whose father, Ian, 85, died of coronavirus he acquired in Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, in October 2020, said the pictures had caused ‘great upset’.

She accused Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB), which runs Nevill Hall and the Grange Hospital, in Cwmbran, where Mr Dene also worked as an operating theatre assistant, of ‘disregarding patients’ human rights’ and of ‘exploiting’ them.

The campaign group, Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, found up to 7,000 pictures had been taken on wards (stock image used)

She cited ‘serious concerns over how these patients gave consent when no relatives were allowed in hospitals to visit or be with them in their final days’.

Glyn Jones, from the ABUHB, said the board was investigating the matter and had asked Mr Dene to remove the images.

An ABUHB spokesman said Mr Dene had sought consent from ‘identifiable’ patients or their relatives at all times. Mr Dene was contacted for comment.