A DISTRAUGHT woman has lashed out at Alexandra Hospital staff after they failed to provide her mother with transport to her father's funeral.

Carol Payne saw her father, Sydney Jowett, sent to Worcestershire Royal Hospital after suffering a ruptured aortic aneurysm only for her mother, Jill Jowett, to be sent to the Alex a day later with pneumonia and heart failure.

After being advised to withdraw her father's life support and him passing away, she arranged for an ambulance to transport her mother home where she would join her family on the way to Redditch Crematorium.

But on the day, she was was horrified to be told it was being used for another patient.

Mrs Payne, from Batchley, said: "We checked with the sister on the ward the night before that it was definitely still booked and we were assured everything was in place.

"However on the morning of the funeral I was telephoned at my parents' home by a staff member advising me the bed manager had re-directed my mother's transport for another patient.

"It was utter panic, I was already very distressed and didn't know how to get mum to the funeral.

"Our morning had already been planned with everything that had to be done prior to the funeral so collecting her ourselves at this late stage was impossible.

"The staff member offered to book a taxi for mum but I wouldn't put my trust in the hospital again after letting us down.

"Luckily with the help of kind friends and family we got her there in time."

She added: "I find it difficult to accept that a person working in the caring profession could show this total lack of compassion given the circumstances and not even have the decency to ring herself but get somebody else to be the bearer of such bad news.

"How could anyone be so heartless to cause a grieving family all this anguish on such a distressing day at such short notice?"

John Rostill, chief executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "I am very disappointed this has happened and a letter is on its way to the family apologising for the distress caused at a very difficult time.

"Investigations are ongoing into this matter and we will be liaising further with the family."