Simon Deacon, 64, from Cwmbran claimed he was left “surrounded by sick” and “urine” due to what he described as a lack of cleaning staff.
Mr Deacon said that during the six hours he spent in the department, he saw only one cleaner, who appeared briefly and did not seem to return.
He attended the unit on Sunday, November 23, between 6:00am and 12:00pm after suffering a knee injury.
During his visit, he reported what he described as significant issues with hygiene and overcrowding.
He explained: “I’ve been to casualty departments before, but I’ve never seen something so filthy and dirty…they say there’s winter vomiting flu and you can see how it spreads!”
“I saw a cleaner when I arrived, and I didn’t see another one.
“With so many sick people, there should be someone on duty clearing up to keep it clean, not just leaving everybody in their own filth there.”
Simon Deacon who was left sat in filthy conditions in the Grange A&E (Image: Simon Deacon)
Mr Deacon claimed patients had to tolerate vomit and urine on the floor, with some people apparently walking through it.
He said: “At 7:00am I was triaged and returned to the waiting area, where a cleaner briefly appeared, swirled a broom around our feet, and then vanished into legend like a mythical creature no one would see again.
“A Victorian workhouse would probably have been cleaner and at least you’d have got a bowl of gruel while you waited.
“A nearby patient vomited across the floor. No cleaning followed. Instead, the mess was dutifully redistributed by the passing population.”
Mr Deacon continued: “Then another patient began filling a cardboard sick bowl, which was ceremoniously placed on a chair and never collected. Then – for artistic contrast – someone else wet themselves, which did at least help dilute the previous spillages.
“By this point, we were one chalk outline short of a crime scene.”
A&E under strain failed to meet hygiene standards, health board admits (The Grange) (Image: NQ)
According to Mr Deacon, overcrowding was made worse by numerous family members turning up with their relatives.
He told the Argus: “The waiting room became so overcrowded that I genuinely began to wonder whether some families had arrived expecting a fun day out.”
In response to Mr Deacon’s claims a spokesperson for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said:
“We sincerely apologise to Mr Deacon and to anyone affected by the concerns raised during his recent visit to The Grange University Hospital. On this occasion, we fell short of the high standards of cleanliness and hygiene that we expect and that patients rightly deserve.
“We take these matters extremely seriously and have robust processes in place to ensure any incidents involving bodily fluids are addressed promptly. This is not the level of service we aim to provide, and we are investigating what happened to prevent it from occurring again.
“We are also continuously working to improve patient experience and meet the growing needs of our population, and we are delighted that the new extension to our Emergency Department will open mid-December. This will provide a better experience for our patients and will help to reduce pressure on the department at The Grange University Hospital.”