"Poor care and lack of information"

My Uncle got a cancellation and attended on short notice for a procedure on his prostate. Up until the surgery he didn’t have much to complain about, apart from passing blood when he passed urine and frequency of passing urine (30-40 times a day).

The toilet in his ward was broken, and when he got up to use the toilet, he found an elderly man standing on the toilet trying to fix it, this was at 3am, and no nursing staff were present. This elderly man clearly needed help as he perhaps was in pain, or confused, but his needs were not addressed.  My uncle was then woken in the morning with cries and wails of pain from other men in his ward, leaving him feeling quite frightened about his prognosis.

He had an indwelling catheter that he described was very painful. He still doesn’t know why he had it, or what he had done (TURP) but he thinks he had a tumour taken out of his bladder and his prostate is four times the size it should be.  He is on medication for an overactive bladder prescribed by his GP over five years ago at least.

Anyway, he described the nursing team as obsessed with his DOB, and ID band, but not much else.  He didn’t wash, or shave whilst an inpatient (something I believe is the basic of care) as he couldn’t access the toilet, and when he finally got the catheter removed (to which he was very grateful) but was in pain, sleep deprived, had just had an operation, worried he may have cancer, all of which are going to affect someone’s mental state, and emotional well-being.  He had one of the most intrusive things possible (catheter) and he hadn’t been told how long it would be in for.

I should mention my uncle is in his early seventies, and is the main carer for his mother who is in her nineties, so he was preoccupied about getting home to her.  I’m quite sure he was grumpy, whilst there, and I’m aware the NHS have a zero tolerance attitude towards violence and aggression towards staff.  What about zero tolerance for poor care towards its patients?  

I know the NMC code of conduct, but that doesn’t apply to band 2 or band 3 nurses.  Anyway the way my uncle described his experience of the nursing staff was less than professional or caring.  He took his own discharge from the ward, as he was asked to drink fluid (water) and pass urine before they were satisfied he could go home.

He was desperate to sleep, desperate to see his mother, and I had phoned the ward 209 to ask how he was, or speak to him around 1100, and I was told (previously been told they couldn’t share info with me as I wasn’t his next of kin) but when he had signed a DAMA (discharge against medical advice) they were more than happy to share that with me.

My concern isn't really about the poor care he received, lack of compassion, lack of pain relief, lack of toilet facilities, lack of wash or shave, lack of information. It’s that since my uncle left the ward not knowing if he had cancer or not, that he (2 - 3 months on) still doesn’t know if he has cancer! He hasn’t heard a thing.

How does he go about finding this out?  Please can someone help advise me on how to advise my uncle?