A hospital patient was covered in human faeces after it fell on her from the ceiling while she was recovering from an operation.

The woman was hit by the waste after it poured from a faulty toilet pipe at Cheltenham General Hospital.

The patient was staying in the Guiting Ward, which treats people undergoing vascular surgery.

The incident happened at Cheltenham General Hospital (Picture: PA)

Other patients were evacuated following the incident and a clean-up was ordered.


Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust apologised for the incident and reassured patients there was a ‘minimal’ health risk.

It said in a statement yesterday: ‘Earlier today a fault in part of a pipe above a ward at Cheltenham General Hospital resulted in a patient coming into contact with waste from that pipe.’



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There was an issue with the pipes (not pictured) (Picture: Getty Images)

The trust added: ‘All patients in that area were immediately relocated, the section of pipe and ceiling tiles replaced and the area cleaned and made safe.

‘Whilst we recognise that this was a deeply unpleasant experience, we have reassured our patient that any clinical risk as a result of this accident is minimal and we have apologised to those affected’.

The woman’s belongings had to be thrown away with staff describing an ‘awful smell’.

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