Some care homes in Wales have been found by inspectors to have filthy conditions with severely stretched staffing. Residents were reported to be enduring awful conditions, ranging from foul-smelling mattresses to “poor and unsafe” care.

In recent months, Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) has sent a series of damning notices to nursing and care homes highlighting areas for improvement. These “priority action reports” are issued when immediate action needs to be taken because a home is failing to comply with regulations.

The notices were obtained by WalesOnline through a Freedom of Information request. Worst examples were found in South Wales, where one care home had multiple mattresses that were “heavily stained with bodily fluids”.