A DIABETIC patient claims she was forced to wet the bed by nurses who treated her "worse than a dog" and repeatedly offered her medication that could have sparked a severe allergic reaction.

Michelle Wealthall, who was bedridden in Ronkswood Hospital for four days, says nurses ignored her pleas for a commode for half-an-hour before she finally wet herself.

The diabetic also claims she was repeatedly offered paracetamol, despite the fact her notes stated clearly that she was severely allergic to it, and was made to wait for two hours for insulin which made her even more ill.

She also claims she was left badly bruised by a doctor who was so rough in taking blood that he had to be stopped by a nurse.

Eventually, the 25-year-old discharged herself, saying she could no longer cope with the "disgraceful" level of service she received in Ward 9.

Miss Wealthall, who lives in Southfield Street, in The Arboretum, had been rushed to casualty on Thursday, January 3, when she caught a bug and her diabetes spiralled out of control.

She was immediately admitted to hospital and taken to the ward which, she says, was staffed by agency nurses.

"I repeatedly asked for a commode as nicely as I could, but the nurses kept drinking coffee and chatting, and one swore at me and told me I would have to wait," she said.

"It made me feel dirty physically and emotionally, like I wasn't worth anything.

"The standard of care is the pits - I wouldn't treat a dog the way they treated me."

A spokeswoman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Ronkswood Hospital, said staff were under increased strain over the festive period.

"There was a significantly increased demand on medical emergencies over the Christmas and New Year period, and extra beds were made available to treat patients," said Janet-Marie Clark.

"We try at all times to maintain a high standard of care and would ask that Miss Wealthall writes to us so we can look into her concerns and reply to her directly."