A former patient at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital claims her six-day stay was depressing because a new two-storey temporary building blocked the sunlight from shining into her ward.

Valerie Shaw said the "monstrous" offices are less than 10ft from the gynaecology ward windows, at the Women's Centre, and workmen are able to look straight inside.

The 43-year-old, of Farm End, Grove, near Wantage, arrived at the hospital, in Headington, at the beginning of June - a week after the temporary cabin was built to house administration staff during the hospital's casualty department redevelopment.

She said: "Both staff and patients are having to cope with a very depressing sight. This not only blocks daylight but is totally depressing for the patients who are awaiting and recovering from surgery.

"The privacy aspect should have also been considered when it was decided to have this erected."

Doctor's receptionist Mrs Shaw said the grey colour of the cabins added to the gloomy outlook.

She said: "There were a few windows facing the ward and you could definitely see inside.

"The building was grey and because I was so close we had no outlook but the drab cabin.

"The nurses didn't know anything about it and I thought it was just awful. Everyone was unhappy about it. I didn't complain because I didn't think my little voice would be heard by the powers that be. We just didn't think it was very positive for the people having operations."

Ali Green, a spokesman for the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, which is responsible for the hospital, said the buildings could be on site for more than a year.

She said: "When the cabin first arrived it had glass windows, but these have now been covered with frosted film and other cabins have also got this.

"Regrettably, the workmen who put them up had to work close by while they were being built and that's something we couldn't avoid.

"In terms of blocking out sunlight on wards, the cabins have to be as close as possible to the accident and emergency department. This is something we didn't want to do, but the cabins are not going to be there forever."

NHS managers are spending £10m on the new casualty department. Work started in April and is due to take two years to complete.