CONCERN about safe staffing levels on a Gwent hospital ward were raised by standards watchdogs during an unannounced inspection, a report reveals.

Staffing levels on Usk Ward 3/2 at Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny, during the two-day dignity and essential care inspection in March did not consistently meet the guidelines, "which gave the potential for this to be unsafe" according to the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) report.

Ensuring staffing levels meet the guidelines is among 30 recommendations made by HIW to Aneurin Bevan University Health Board following the inspection.

The others cover a range of areas including: reviewing how staff ensure patients' privacy and dignity is maintained in bathroom areas; ensuring patients' oral health needs are routinely assessed and appropriately managed; the regular review and updating of patients' care plans and risk assessments and the updating of information leaflets.

Dignity and essential care inspections are carried out at hospital across Wales, and are designed to review the way patients' dignity is maintained and the basic nursing care they receive.

Usk Ward 3/2 is a 32-bed trauma and orthopaedics ward. Overall patients told the inspectors they were satisfied with the quality of care they received, and with the attitude of staff.

But comments about the cleanliness of the ward were mixed, and patients were concerned at staffing levels.

The report states that staff told inspectors, and rotas confirmed, that staffing levels "often fell below recommended levels" and while no unsafe practice happened during the inspection as a result, patients were seen to wait for assistance from staff on occasion.

Patients also told inspectors that they felt staffing levels impacted on their care at times.

Inspectors found however, that staff "were committed to providing good standards of person-centred care to all patients", and were polite and courteous to them, treating them with respect, and protecting their privacy and dignity.

HIW has called however, for the equipment and environment in bathroom areas of the ward to be improved for dignity reasons.

Health boards are required to compile action plans in response to HIW dignity and essential care inspections, to demonstrate how recommendations are being implemented.