A GRIEVING family say they were relieved when a sick relative died – because it saved him from further appalling treatment at the hands of staff in a Basildon private care home.

Bill Stone, 82, had terminal brain cancer and was being cared for at Ghyll Grove Residential and Nursing Home, owned and run by private hospital and healthcare group, Bupa.

Echo:

Mr Wood’s relatives claim during his two-week stay at the home, in Ghyllgrove, Basildon, the home was too short-staffed to ensure he was regularly washed or given his medication on time.

It was so bad they had to come in to help look after him.

Bupa has since apologised for poor care which earned the home a formal warning from the Government health watchdog.

Mr Stone’s brother-in-law Peter Wood, 76, said the family had been utterly disgusted by the lack of care, poor staffing levels and the way residents were treated.

He said: “I know it sounds horrible, but we were pleased when he died because it meant he was out of there.

“When we chose the care home we thought it was the best one and the nearest one, but it just went downhill from there.

“Bill kept saying, ‘look at the way I am treated. What am I doing here?’.

“There’s only one word I can use to describe what Bill went through. Disgusting.”

Mr Stone was left waiting for his medication for two hours over a weekend because no one was available to give him his drugs.

On another occasion, Mr Wood had to help wash his brotherin- law because staff said they were too busy to do it.

Mr Stone went into the home on August 27 and died there on Tuesday, September 10.

His family immediately wrote to the home’s managers to complain, only to face a flat denial of any staff shortages or suggestion mistakes had been made.

An angry Mr Wood complained to the Care Quality Commission, which is responsible for inspecting care homes.

The commission sent in inspectors, who last week issued Ghyll Grove with a formal warning.

Mr Wood said: “The report condemns the home out of hand.

“I told the CQC the situation was urgent, as there were other residents in there who might not be able to speak for themselves.

“When it published the results of their inspection, I realised I had done what I had set out to do “I feel totally justified in raising the issues with what inspectors have found out.”