People have been asked to stay away from Prince Philip Hospital due to a skin infestation which is described as ‘highly contagious and difficult to eradicate’
13:22, 28 Sep 2026Updated 15:23, 28 Sep 2026
The entrance to Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli(Image: John Myers)
Visitors have been told to stay away from a Welsh hospital due to an ongoing scabies outbreak which has been affecting members of the public for months.
People have been told that visiting loved ones at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanell is now “restricted” due to the outbreak and that “a number of cases are currently being managed in healthcare and community settings across the Hywel Dda (University Health Board) area”, which includes Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion as well as Carmarthenshire.
The health board has not confirmed which wards are shut off or if any particular wards are more badly affected than others. Stay informed on Carms news by signing up to our newsletter here.
As well as visitors, patients with planned appointments at the hospital may be affected by the restrictions, with health bosses saying they will aim to contact people “as soon as possible”.
According to the NHS, scabies is an itchy rash caused by mites. The main symptoms are intense itching, especially at night, and/or a raised rash or spots on the skin.
While the infestation is not usually associated with serious illness it is highly contagious and normally spread through skin-to-skin contact or shared bedding or clothing.
In July a ward at another Carmarthenshire hospital – Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen – was closed following an outbreak of scabies and there was an “increased prevalence” of infestation in the area.
Confirming the new restrictions put in place at Prince Philip Hospital, Sharon Daniel, executive director of nursing, quality, and patient experience at Hywel Dda, said: “We have taken the decision to restrict visitors to Prince Philip Hospital today to limit the spread of scabies on our site and in our community.
“A number of wards are currently closed due to infection and we need the support and understanding of our communities to limit further spread.
“We are taking direct action to treat patients, staff, and contacts, and undertake deep cleaning of our wards, in line with infection prevention control measures.
“Scabies is highly contagious and difficult to eradicate and we are grateful to everyone for their continued support.
“We will be contacting individuals whose planned care appointments may be impacted by this as soon as possible. This does not impact services provided by the minor injury unit.”