UP TO 22 patients at St Cadoc’s Hospital in Caerleon were made to share two “heavily stained” showers between them for more than two years.

Health Inspectorate Wales (HIW) has said the shower for male patients had no warm water, with washrooms covered in “large fungal build up”.

Concerns were raised about a lack of shower facilities at Adferiad, the mixed-gender acute mental health admission ward, after a visit in October 2016.

A follow-up inspection in November 2018 found that problems remained, prompting HIW to ask Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) to make immediate changes.

The report says: “There remains only two showers for up to 22 patients on Adferiad; this is too few for the number of patients.

“To compound this issue the designated male shower was running cool and therefore most patients were using the one shower designated for female patients.

“Both shower rooms had heavily stained flooring and walls, with a large fungal build up on and around the ceiling windows and detrition to the window frames.

“This is unacceptable and needs to be addressed as a priority.”

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Following the inspection, ABUHB was asked to increase its shower provision for Adferiad while making sure they had warm water and were cleaned correctly.

In an annual review of the health board published earlier this month, HIW also expressed concerns about personal alarm systems at St Cadoc’s and the Talygarn Unit at Pontypool’s County Hospital.

But the review says: “We issued three immediate assurance letters to the health board in 2018/19 and we received sufficient assurance on the issues raised.

“This meant that the improvements had either been addressed or progress was being made to ensure patient safety is protected

An ABUHB spokeswoman confirmed that work on Adferiad’s shower rooms, and the alarm systems at both hospitals, has since been completed.

They said: “The health board is pleased to confirm that work has finished on renewing the shower facilities on Adferiad Ward with the two existing shower rooms having been completely upgraded by June 2019.

“We have also put in an additional new bathroom adjacent to the ward for patients to use in preference to a shower.”

“In addition, following receipt of the HIW report on County Hospital and its recommendations, there is a weekly review of Care and Treatment Plan paperwork.

“A new staff personal safety alarm system was also installed in Talygarn in October 2018.”