A former mayor of Malvern has made an official complaint to Worcester Royal Hospital following the death of her husband.

Douglas Coates died in November after a nine-week stay at the Worcester Royal.

His wife Whinray has condemned the hospital for neglect and a lack of basic nursing care.

"I want to see something done. I don't want other people to suffer like we have," said Mrs Coates, adding that she didn't think her late husband's experience was an isolated case.

Last week's Malvern Gazette featured the story of James McArthur, whose family raised similar concerns about nursing care following his stay at the hospital.

Mr Coates had dementia and his wife had nursed him at home for four years but he was admitted to hospital in September after a fall and a minor stroke.

Mrs Coates says mistakes were made with his medication, his dietary needs were ignored, he was left dirty and unwashed and became ill with bowel and kidney infections picked up in hospital.

Three days before her husband died she demanded to see a doctor about his medication and discovered he had been given pills he wasn't capable of swallowing, which were found lost among his bedclothes and on the floor.

Mrs Coates raised concerns about her husband's care with staff on the ward and contacted the Patients Advice and Liaison Service while he was in hospital.

She took in jars of baby food to feed her husband and helped to keep him clean and comfortable.

"I felt there wasn't anything I could do," said Mrs Coates.

"We knew he didn't have long but he shouldn't have had to die the way he did."

She feels being given a drip unnecessarily prolonged her husband's life and prevented him being transferred to a nursing home, where he could have been kept clean and comfortable.

Mrs Coates' concerns have been taken up by West Worcestershire MP Sir Michael Spicer.

Hospital spokesman Richard Haines said the hospital would look into the points Sir Michael has raised on her behalf and respond to him in due course.

Mr Haines said the hospital had not received a letter of complaint Mrs Coates sent three weeks ago.

n JAMES McArthur is still a voluntary warden with Malvern Hills Conservators, contrary to last week's report.

Conservators' director Ian Rowat said Mr McArthur had now left hospital and was looking forward to resuming his duties.