A physician associate was allegedly suspended following the Royal Gwent hospital procedure
16:39, 08 Apr 2026Updated 10:16, 10 Apr 2026
Natalie Ann Dyke underwent a lumbar puncture procedure that went awry
A hospital is investigating an allegation of falsified records after a woman underwent an agonising procedure. Natalie Ann Dyke, a 21-year-old from Caerphilly, attended Newport’s Royal Gwent hospital for a lumbar puncture, but it went awry and her family have been waiting four months for a response to their complaint about what happened.
Following last December’s operation, Natalie attended another appointment at the hospital, where she and her mother Samantha were allegedly told that the physician associate (PA) who carried out the procedure had written false information about it in his notes. They also claim a member of hospital staff informed them the PA had been suspended over the incident.
Samantha told WalesOnline her daughter has been “traumatised” and experiencing serious back pain since the attempted lumbar puncture. Aneurin Bevan university health board said it is investigating the matter.
It comes amid a torrid period for the organisation, which we recently revealed had put patients at risk of HIV infection by operating with unsterilised instruments, and had also left a gravely ill patient in a hospital corridor for days before his death.
Natalie was booked in for a lumbar puncture on December 4 due to her IIH (idiopathic intracranial hypertension), a condition in which pressure builds up around the brain. She had been experiencing headaches and problems with her vision.
WalesOnline has seen a letter from the hospital confirming Natalie would “need” diazepam, an anxiety drug, for the procedure. This was deemed necessary because Natalie is autistic and was extremely anxious about the lumbar puncture, which she had not experienced before.
A lumbar puncture involves a needle being inserted between the bones of a patient’s spine. Natalie was meant to have fluid collected in the procedure to help the hospital understand and treat her IIH.
When Natalie arrived, she met a PA who said he would be carrying out the procedure and that, despite the doctor’s instructions, he would not be giving her diazepam because it was “not needed”, the family allege.
“She had seven lumbar punctures done in one sitting,” claimed Samantha. “The needle kept going into her back and she was shaking uncontrollably and sweating. At one point he sat her upright, put the needle in, and then told her to lie back with it still in her back.”
The PA was unable to collect any fluid and allegedly told Natalie the procedure had been unsuccessful because her spine was curved.
Six days later Natalie returned to the hospital and had an appointment with another medic. Samantha claimed: “He was surprised when he saw Natalie because his colleague who’d done the procedure had written in his notes that he only attempted the lumbar puncture twice, yet there were seven needle marks in my daughter’s back.”
Needle marks on Natalie Ann Dyke’s back following the attempted lumbar puncture
A scan showed Natalie’s spine was not curved, and the medic allegedly told the family that the PA had breached the health board’s protocols by attempting the lumbar puncture more than twice and by moving her around with the needle still in her back. The procedure was carried out again, this time successfully, and at a lower position on her spine.
The family claim they were later told by hospital staff that the PA had been suspended for allegedly falsifying records of his lumbar puncture attempt, failing to provide diazepam, and breaching protocols.
Samantha said: “My daughter has been having nightmares about the procedure. She has been in a lot of back pain, which she didn’t have previously. She is traumatised and confused.
“I’m speaking out because we don’t want this happen again. A lumbar puncture is scary anyway, but to have this happen to an autistic person, and then not to be told what is going on for four months, is unacceptable.”
Samantha said her daughter is still waiting for information on any potential damage to her back from the procedure.
A health board spokesman said: “We’re very sorry to hear that Ms Dyke and her family are unhappy with the care she received. Whilst we aim to conclude investigations within 30-working days, there are some instances where more complex cases may take longer than this.
“Investigations can take anywhere up to six months to conclude, which is outlined within the Putting Things Right regulations. We recognise that awaiting a response can be upsetting and frustrating and we are working to conclude our investigation and respond to the family as quickly as possible. While the investigation is still ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further.
“We are committed to adapting to the additional needs of our patients by providing safe, person‑centred care and ensuring that reasonable adjustments and agreed care plans are implemented, particularly where invasive procedures are required.”
Last month we revealed Aneurin Bevan health board had put 21 Royal Gwent hospital patients at risk of serious infections by treating them with unsterilised medical instruments and had then failed to tell them until around three weeks later – which only happened after a whistleblower had come forward to WalesOnline.
Shortly after we reported on the sterilisation error, an anonymous petition was launched on Change.org calling for “an independent review of leadership and governance” at the health board. It pointed to various failings from recent years, including the mixing-up of bodies in a mortuary and the death of nine-year-old Dylan Cope after he was sent home from hospital despite having a perforated appendix.
If you have information about a story we should be investigating, you can contact us at conor.gogarty@walesonline.co.uk
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