Widow Recounts Husband's Agonizing Death After Hospital-Acquired Scabies

Kate Baxter described the heartbreak of being unable to hold her husband, Paul, without gloves in his final days after he contracted scabies in Glangwili Hospital. Paul Baxter, 90, had been admitted for a stroke in December 2025 and developed the highly contagious skin infestation approximately four months before his death on June 8.

"He was suffering. He said to me, 'my back itches' and when I rubbed his back, his skin was coming off like sand," Kate Baxter recounted. "To have him die like that wasn't good."

Scabies, caused by microscopic mites burrowing under the skin, spreads through close contact. Paul Baxter also had pneumonia, and his wife stated that the crusted scabies, a more severe form of the infection, had weakened his immune system. His death certificate lists scabies as a secondary cause of death. Following his passing, Baxter was informed that her husband's body in the morgue had been tagged as an "environmental hazard" due to the active scabies.

Prior to his hospital admission, Paul Baxter was described as "very bright" and "funny," with an "inquiring mind." By February, he began complaining of itching, but initial medical assessments suggested it might be a reaction to medication. It took nearly 13 weeks before he was diagnosed with scabies in May, by which time it had progressed to crusted scabies, a condition where individuals can carry up to two million mites and eggs.

Kate Baxter also contracted scabies from her husband, describing the experience as "dreadful." She detailed the intense itching, constant skin pain, and sharp, stabbing pains that were particularly active at night, causing significant distress. She believes the infection cast a "shadow" over her husband's final weeks and potentially compromised his ability to fight off the pneumonia he contracted.

The hospital required Baxter to wear personal protective equipment, similar to that used during the COVID-19 pandemic, when visiting her husband. "Holding somebody's hand with gloves is not good," she said.

Following Paul's death, Baxter lodged a complaint with the health board regarding the delay in diagnosing his scabies. The health board's chief executive, Phil Kloer, responded that no evidence was found to suggest concerns were ignored or that appropriate medical review was not sought. He also stated it was impossible to determine with certainty if the rash could have been prevented. Baxter expressed dissatisfaction with this response, feeling the issues were not adequately addressed and that doctors should have recognized the severity of his condition earlier.

In response to scabies outbreaks, Glangwili Hospital closed its Steffan ward in July and the Cadog ward in September; both have since reopened. The Teifi ward has been closed since September 21. This week, two wards at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli were also closed due to scabies. Recent data from Wales indicates a significant rise in reported consultations for scabies, with over 27,000 recorded in the Common Ailments Service last year, a substantial increase from 4,810 two years prior.