Anne Morgan contacted the Courier after a recent stay in the hospital's Squire ward, which was being used for patients with a clostridium difficile infection.

The Regent Grove resident was admitted to the ward after she contracted the contagious illness which causes diarrhoea.

She said: "To say I was shocked when I arrived on the ward is an understatement.

"When you are unwell it is difficult enough to retain your dignity, but to have someone of the opposite sex in the bed opposite is embarrassing for both patients."

But, despite her discomfort at having to share a ward with men, she has nothing but praise for the staff.

She said: "I have the greatest respect for all their hard work and care they gave to all their patients, nothing was too much trouble.

"Without their help and kindness I would have felt that I was in a prison."

Clostridium difficile bacteria are present in most people's intestines, but if the 'good' bacteria that keep them in check are killed off by antibiotics they can multiply.

It mainly affects elderly people, but can be reduced and controlled by prudent antibiotic prescribing, patient isolation, good infection control and cleaning with a chlorine disinfectant.

The hospital's medical director Steve Mather said: "I can confirm that we do not have single sex isolation wards as, I believe, no trust in the country has.

"By their nature isolation wards are specialist wards which are used on a variable basis. The resources needed, both financially and spatially, to provide single sex facilities would be enormous and those resources would not, for part of the year, be required.

"As it is, the isolation facilities at Warwick hospital are flexible and, when not required for isolation purposes, are flexed to accommodate other patients."