Blood-stained cupboards, dirty bathrooms and neglected patients are just some of the things health watchdog Mary Wilson found on a trip to Great Western Hospital.

The damning report was made public at Swindon's Patient and Public Involvement Forum at Gorse Hill community centre yesterday.

Chairwoman Mary Wilson listed the catalogue of claims - which she called "horrific and disturbing" - after visiting Teal ward at the hospital last month.

Mrs Wilson, who has been on the PPI forum for three years, spent the day on the ward observing hospital staff and their interaction with patients.

The health watchdog said her discovery was disturbing evidence that the Swindon hospital is ailing rather than improving.

She said: "I went to the hospital because it was brought to our attention about this particular ward two or three times.

"We heard stories about nurses seeing patients 20 minutes after they had pushed their buttons and one patient even claimed that there was blood all down the bedside table.

"I spoke to some patients who had asked for blankets and four hours later the nurse threw them at them and told them they'd have to put them on the bed themselves."

She claimed one patient she met endured almost a five-hour wait to go home after being discharged because doctors hadn't prescribed him with the drugs he needed to continue his treatment at home.

She said: "One man was discharged at 1.30pm and had to wait while he was given some medicine to take home - I spoke to him at 6.10pm."

Mrs Wilson also claimed that she witnessed a doctor treat several patients without washing his hands, that bars of soap were left in bathrooms by previous patients instead of the liquid soap dispensers outlined by NHS guidelines.

She said: "There is little privacy for patients who will die in hospital. If they want some private times with loved ones they can use the nurses' office but this isn't always available.

"The showers seemed dirty also but they could have been discoloured."

Chris Birdsall, communications manager of Great Western Hospital, said: "We were aware of some of the issues raised before the PPI held their meeting and had resolved the matters to the patients' satisfaction.

"However, we have received a report from the PPI in our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) department and will be investigating every point made thoroughly and will report back."