A man who woke up in his hospital bed next to a puddle of urine has slammed Ipswich Hospital's "unsanitary" urine bottles after he said several of them leaked during his stay.

Karl Mayes, from Sudbury, spent five days at Ipswich Hospital last week after he attended A&E and was admitted to a ward, but he said the stay was made unpleasant after recurring problems with urine bottles saw them leak across tables and floors.

The 58-year-old said the issues began in A&E where two of the cardboard urine bottles provided to him leaked onto the floor and table, and the same happened again later in the day in the Emergency Assessment Unit. 

East Anglian Daily Times: Karl Mayes, who said the leaky urine bottles are unsanitaryKarl Mayes, who said the leaky urine bottles are unsanitary (Image: Karl Mayes)

Mr Mayes was moved to the Kesgrave Ward, where he said he used a urine bottle in the night, as did a patient in a neighbouring bed, and he woke up in the morning next to a puddle of urine that had pooled between both of the beds as both bottles had leaked.

"I may as well have urinated on the floor because it was the whole bottle that came out," he said.

"We had to throw everything away on our tables, I had to throw a couple of pairs of pants and socks that had been in a bag on the floor away. 

"These must be the cheapest of cheap cardboard. I have never had it happen in hospital before.

"It is actually very dangerous to have this happen in the hospital environment because people are ill, and infections can spread."

East Anglian Daily Times: Ipswich Hospital, where Mr Mayes spent five daysIpswich Hospital, where Mr Mayes spent five days (Image: Sarah Lucy Brown, Newsquest)

While the hospital has said it is investigating the matter, Mr Mayes said he would like to see the hospital invest in better products to prevent the leaks. 

"It is unacceptable and the thing is, they know about it. Nurses told me it had been an ongoing problem for weeks and weeks," he said.

"If this had been a one-off I wouldn't have mentioned it but it was not, it happened in all three wards of the hospital.

"The actual treatment and care on Kesgrave ward was exemplary. I don't want the nurses to feel like it is their fault, it is not their fault. It is a tool that they have been given that doesn't work," he added.

Emma Sweeney, chief nurse at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Ipswich Hospital, said: "We are very sorry to hear about the patient’s experience and thank them for bringing it to our attention.

"We are investigating the matter and would encourage the patient to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 01473 704781 or email pals@esneft.nhs.uk."