Scabies has reached Morriston Hospital, and visiting is restricted on some wards.
Swansea Bay University Health Board confirmed “a small number” of cases on Friday. It has not said which wards, how many people, or what the restrictions are.
A spokesperson said: “Families have been informed and appropriate treatment or guidance has been provided to patients, staff, and relatives. Some visiting restrictions are in place, and we are grateful to relatives for their understanding.”
It is the first time the scabies outbreaks that have been closing wards in west Wales since July have reached a Swansea hospital.
Three outbreaks in a month, says MS
Claire Archibald, Reform UK’s shadow minister for social care, said Morriston made it “the third outbreak in the last month”.
Hywel Dda University Health Board has restricted visiting repeatedly since Steffan Ward at Glangwili closed in July. A number of wards at Prince Philip Hospital followed from 27 September.
In October it was Teifi Ward at Glangwili, then Bryngolau Ward at Prince Philip from 16 October. The board has published no case numbers for any of them.
Ms Archibald said: “The Welsh Government needs to explain what’s being done to prevent further cases, identify the sources of these outbreaks and establish whether there are any links.”
She said: “I’ve written to the Minister, I’ve had no answer and no update. It’s not good enough for Plaid to sit back and do nothing.”
What the Welsh Government said in the Senedd
Ms Archibald asked for an urgent statement on 6 October. She told the Senedd of “the reported death of an elderly gentleman, whose illness was linked to complications associated with scabies”, a report neither health board has confirmed and Swansea Bay News has not been able to verify.
Heledd Fychan, the Trefnydd, replied for the Welsh Government: “Patient safety continues to be a full priority for this Government. We expect every health board to have disease control processes in place in order to control cases effectively.”
She said she would tell the health minister, Mabon ap Gwynfor, that the issue had been raised. Both health boards answer to him.
What to look for
Scabies is caused by mites burrowing into the skin and spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact. It has nothing to do with hygiene, Hywel Dda says in its guidance, and anyone can catch it.
The sign is intense itching, worse at night, with a rash of small red spots, often between the fingers and on the wrists. Treatment comes from pharmacies and GPs, applied twice a week apart, with everyone in the household treated at the same time.
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