THE family of a Droitwich man who died from a superbug have demanded to know why hospital staff failed to diagnose the infection.

Roy Sorrell died, aged 66, from pseudomembranous colitis, an infection of the colon, caused by clostridium difficile, or C.diff, two weeks after a bladder operation in October.

He had appeared to be recovering from the operation at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch, but tests later revealed the bug and an inquest found he died of natural causes.

His family has now complained to the Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust about some aspects of his care.

Daughter Denise Colman said: "He had every single symptom of C.diff but he wasn't given the drugs and the test results didn't come in until after he had died. We want to know why dad died, why they failed to diagnose, why they failed to treat and what they are going to do to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else," she added.

"But they've tried to clam up and told us as little as possible."

Mrs Colman criticised the hospital's procedures saying, at one point, the family visited her father in a theatre where he was taken because no intensive care beds were available.

She said: "We weren't asked to wash our hands, glove up or mask up.

"If that's commonplace, it's not surprising that bugs get into the hospital.

"At no point did we see the staff using soap and water or gloves or masks which is in their procedures." She added: "I want to make sure that people know and that the hospital is shamed into doing something about it.

"It's too late for my dad but it's not too late for other people." A trust spokeswoman said: "The family has raised their concerns with us and we have met them. At the moment we are still in the process of answering their queries and will be responding directly to them.

"Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust takes infection prevention and control very seriously and is working hard with staff, visitors and patients to ensure we maintain a high standard of cleanliness and promote our zero tolerance approach to infection."

Mr Sorrell, of Hunter's Way, Westlands, appeared in your Worcester News last July when he and wife Barbara's home was flooded just hours after he was told he needed the operation for cancer.