Martin Woodward of Powys NHS Trust

The �500,000 specialist unit - completed in August - lies empty for the want of just three staff.

The Victorian mental institution at Talgarth which was closed two years ago has been replaced by smaller community-based units like Newtown which is currently open for day-care patients only.

"They should have done something about it earlier," said Gladys Perks of the TLC Respite agency.

"The trust has known it was on the cards for years and they just haven't done anything. They've just forgotten about until it's come along.

"But it doesn't work like that, there's people out there waiting the care."

But Powys NHS Trust insist they have been doing all they can to attract staff into the unit.

Wards at the centre are lying empty

"If you are providing services in rural areas then it is difficult to attract those specialist staff," said spokesman Martin Woodward.

"So what we're doing is working with other trusts and employment agencies, overseas recruitment, return to practice programmes - all kinds of things to see if we can attract people into what is after all an exciting new service."

As existing staff wait for their patients, another recruitment drive begins in the new year - exactly 12 months after the first advertisements appeared.

But the trust admits it cannot give a date when the beds will be in use.