“We are concerned about the numbers of hospital patients being housed in ‘treatment rooms’”, said a health campaign group representative.

In fact, a flagship hospital is facing an investigation, as patients told of their ‘nightmare’ stays in tiny windowless treatment rooms.

Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital, a well known hospital, has 27 cupboards – labeled ‘treatment rooms’, which are regularly used to house patients – attached to wards.

Katherine Murphy, director of the Patients Association, said it was "not unusual" for patients to find themselves in such conditions. "It is not unusual and this is not the worst example we have heard of," said Ms Murphy. "It's concerning. It's so undignified. Families shouldn't put up with it".

Writing in an article for a magazine, Dr Helena McKeown, chairman of the British Medical Association's (BMA) community care committee, gave a full description about her experience, telling how her mother, Doris, had stayed "among shelves of catheters and boxes".

“Treatment rooms were used at times of "exceptionally high levels of emergency admissions", said a senior staff at the Norwich hospital.