Scabies outbreak restricts visiting at Prince Philip Hospital

Restrictions begin on 27 September. Hywel Dda says the Minor Injury Unit is unaffected and patients whose planned care changes will be contacted.

Christine Jones · Sun 27 Sept, 16:08

Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli. Photo: John Lucas, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph and Wikimedia Commons; cropped.

Archive photograph, 25 February 2025. Not a photograph of the outbreak. John Lucas, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Original photograph CC BY-SA 2.0

Visiting at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli has been restricted from Sunday 27 September because of a scabies outbreak, Hywel Dda University Health Board has announced. A number of wards are closed due to infection.

Appointments and minor injuries

The health board says it will contact people whose planned care appointments may be affected. Services at the Minor Injury Unit are not affected. Patients, staff and contacts are being treated, with wards undergoing deep cleaning. The board says it is reviewing the situation regularly and will publish updates on its website. Its announcement does not give an end date for the visiting restrictions.

What the health board says about the risk

Hywel Dda says the risk to the wider public remains low. Scabies can spread through prolonged skin contact or shared bedding and clothing. The board stresses that anyone can be affected, that it is not a sign of poor hygiene and that treatment is effective. For the latest visiting position and any changes to planned care, check the health board announcement linked below.

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