JUST over a year ago the Commission for Health Improvement launched a scathing attack on Worcester's Newtown Hospital.

Wards 'failed to meet privacy and dignity guidelines' and there wasn't enough linen or 'suitable clothing' to go around.

A pretty poor state of affairs. Fast forward to today and... it would appear very little has changed.

A series of patient, visitor and staff complaints about the quality of the hospital have prompted health chiefs to promise a £250,000 refurbishment.

Our question is: why has this taken so long?

The 2004 report highlighted the poor state of the Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership Trust part of Newtown.

Today's complaints concern the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust wards. But they are all in the same building.

Surely it wouldn't have taken a great leap of imagination to see that those problems which affected one part of the building could just as easily be applied down the corridor?

The most worrying aspect of today's complaints, however, come from widow Pam Bradley.

She accuses Newtown medical staff of neglect, hastening the death of her war veteran husband Des.

We have always been staunch supporters of our health workers, who have consistently met the highest of standards in the most trying circumstances.

We would hate to think that those standards have begun to slip.