"Lack of patient care on Ward J7 elderly care ward"

My Dad was on ward J7 for 3 weeks with terminal cancer during this time we saw a lot of patients families complain about the care their relatives were getting. We had concerns ourselves and approach staff more than once.During the last few days of my dads life we asked staff to contact us as soon as they could if dad took worse. On Wednesday 12th October 2016 we visited dad and he was unwell but was stable so we were happy to leave and go home after a few hours of visiting. At 630pm that evening we rang then ward to check how he was , we were told he was still the same as we left him stable and settled. At 6.50pm my mobile alerted me to a voicemail and immediately after my.mobile rung again it was the nurse who was looking after dad that evening informing me they have been trying to contact me on my lamdline to tell dad had passed away. I was in shock as it came a lot quicker than I'd expected ..I checked my landline to find the last call was from my nephew at 4pm so they can't have been ringing my number. I left home and got to the ward 30 mins after the phone call to find.dad was left in a horrible state.. his eyes had been left wide open as was his mouth and he looked like he was in shock ..the condition of his body was not that of someone who had passed away with in the hour as we had been led to believe ..he was stiff a board and freezing cold and I checked under the sheets and that was also cold, we could not close his mouth or eyes as he was so stiff.

I believe my dad was laying there over 2 plus hours and they didn't even notice he'd died. .after the shock we were asked if we'd like to go to the day room., we did and a health care brought us some.tea..we sat there over 40 mins and no one came into see us ..my.partner went out to see what happens next .. he was briefly told we can take his stuff home and was given a booklet with a number to call today regarding death certificate. .we had no compasion from the staff in.fact when we left the ward there was not a nurse in sight to see us off. We left the ward feeling hurt and dissatisfied and dissapointed by how my dad and us were treated in this horrendous time.we have rung the ward for explanation today and again we are not satisfied so I have involved

PALS and they have told me someone will be in contact. We will not let this matter drop until the truth comes out and I will warn any families who have patients on this ward to be vigilant over their families care.