A deaf man who died in a house fire felt isolated, frustrated and lonely in hospital in the weeks before his death.

Peter Mezzone was described as 'funny and caring' after his death in a fire in Randwick Drive, Warndon, on Thursday, April 28.

Hospital Chaplain Rev David Southall visited the 81-year-old several times in hospital and said he could see his friend getting “more and more depressed” as staff struggled to communicate with him.

“We don’t treat deaf people very well in the NHS,” said Rev Southall.

“My friend Peter was born deaf and I had many chats with him.

"He used to show interest in my motorbike, tell me jokes and tease me that my sign language wasn’t up to much, although always with a twinkle in his eyes.

READ MORE: Date of inquest for Peter Mezzone who died in house fire announced

Tributes paid to man who died in hospital after Warndon fire

“But you could see, as the weeks went on he got more and more depressed and isolated.

"On his last admission to a hospital I saw this first hand.

“Sometimes I was there when staff wanted to speak with him and I offered him some communication support.

"But often the staff would speak to me and ask me about him.

“I would gently remind them to ask Peter as he was the patient and could answer for himself.”

'Staff were kind to him and tried their best'

Rev Southall said he was privileged to attend Mr Mezzone’s funeral, where an interpreter relayed the service to the numerous members of the deaf community in attendance, using British Sign Language (BSL).

But at no time during his hospital stays was Mr Mezzone offered an interpreter, according to Rev Southall, who is the chaplaincy team leader for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

“When I asked how he felt he wrote it down on a board for me. Isolated, seriously frustrated, what are tablets for? Lonely, unseen.

“And then he said to me in BSL, ‘They think I am a…’ and his finger spelled, ‘D…U…M…M…Y’.

“I was furious. He obviously felt like a second, or third, class citizen, although I did see some staff, who despite the communication challenges, were kind to him and tried their best.

"On his discharge, he went home and tragically died in a house fire.

“Peter had lived a full life, he had friends, he was a real human being. He had loves and hates and was always kind to me. The thought that he felt he was treated as less than others still fills me with fury and regret.”

We have asked Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust for comment.

An inquest into Mr Mezzone’s death has been scheduled for October 26 at Worcestershire Coroner’s Court in Stourport.