"Newid Ward Llandough"

I spent 6 months on Newid ward from Feb 2013. This was my first hospital stay and I was very uneasy about the plan but was so desperate for treatment I agreed. I was surprised how easy it was to settle in to such a setting. The staff are excellent and care very much for the patients on the ward. Unfortunately they are over worked and so spend way too much time all in the ward office together and not enough time chatting and getting to know the patients. I suspect this is a mixture of too much work and the culture within mental health units.

It is an acute ward and therefore the vast majority of patients are very ill indeed and this is difficult to adjust being around at times. I had the odd occasion where other patients threatened to harm me etc but the staff dealt with this swiftly and I never felt unsafe on the ward. There is an emergency alarm in every room which brings staff running straight away.

The food is pretty vile and the cleanliness of the place leaves a lot to be desired but I appreciated having my own room with a lockable door (all beds have their own rooms). Activities on the ward were few and far between but if you ask the staff will try.

No one would honestly choose to spend a night on newid but when you are so unwell staying in your home isn't a safe option then newid ward is gratefully received.