THE DAUGHTER of a Newport man moved to a nursing home an hour away from where she lives is celebrating after he was transferred closer to home.

Royston Godwin, 55, is recovering from a serious assault at his Commercial Road home in December which left him in a coma for several months.

His daughter Rachel Godwin, 37, was horrified after he first contracted MRSA and was then moved to a nursing home in Llangattock - more than an hour's drive from her Newport home.

Two weeks ago the Argus reported on Ms Godwin's fears that without regular visits from family her father was withdrawing into himself, rather than improving.

Ms Godwin also raised concerns about his care at the Cedars Nursing Home in Llangattock, which is run by private company Craegmoor Healthcare.

She alleged at the time: "He had not been washed and his tongue had a thick coating on it."

She was so shocked that she took photos of an open bin, clothes thrown in a corner of the room, and the bedsheets which had holes in them.

The Local Health Board told the Argus at the time they were investigating the complaint, but that an unscheduled check on the care home revealed standards were acceptable.

Responding to Ms Godwin's claim, the home said it has received no formal complaint. A spokesman said: "We remain committed to delivering the highest standards of care and services to those in our care and our repeated offers to sit down with the family still stand."

Last week, Newport Local Health Board agreed to move Mr Godwin to Mount Eveswell nursing home in Newport.

She is now thrilled she can visit him every day and says a change was soon apparent in her father's well-being.

"It is immaculate up there, the nurses are looking after him so well and he's getting physiotherapy every day and the change in him is amazing.

"He's talking and communicating with me. He's giving me the thumbs up sign and has made it clear he's happy there.

"It's such a weight off my mind. I've slept properly for the first time in weeks.

"I just want to thank the Argus for helping me draw attention to it and everyone else who has given me help and support, especially my family and friends."

She still plans to make formal complaints against the LHB and Gwent Healthcare Trust, though, because of the problems she has encountered during the last month.

"No-one should have to go through what we did," she said.