THE daughter of a Malvern war veteran who was left in his hospital bed for hours after dying has spoken of her disgust at his treatment.

Donald Sallis, a 78-year-old survivor of the Battle of Arnhem, remained on the ward surrounded by other patients after his death at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in July.

His son-in-law went to the hospital five hours after his death - and was able to walk straight through to his bed without being met by any member of staff.

Mr Sallis' daughter, who does not want to be named, said her father deserved better than to meet such an undignified ending.

"He fought so hard, and after this, you wonder why he bothered," she said.

Mr Sallis, a former long-distance lorry driver from Coronation Road, was admitted to the new hospital in June with a breathing problem known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

But his daughter immediately became alarmed when he was put into a basement room next to the car park, where she felt the air quality was very poor.

She managed to get him moved to a different room, but he then suffered a serious cut to his leg.

"I was told he had a severe gash, but nobody would own up to doing it," his daughter said.

"I was just stunned."

She said she also had to intervene when physiotherapists came to get him out of bed, apparently unaware of his damaged leg.

Mr Sallis' treatment following his death was the final straw for her.

"I couldn't believe it," she said. "I always thought when someone passed away in hospital they took them to the chapel of rest straight away, and didn't leave them lying there for all to see.

"It can't have done the other people on the ward any good."

She said the nurses at the hospital were excellent, but they were overworked and the layout of the hospital was terrible.

"I'm sure he's not the first person this has happened to, and he won't be the last," she added.

A spokesperson for the Worcestershire Acute NHS Trust said they wished to discuss the incident with the family.

"The Trust has not been approached by the family," said a spokesperson for Worcestershire Acute NHS Trust.

"We would like to meet with the family and have the opportunity to follow through and investigate their concerns fully."