FAMILIES will speak out tonight about the trauma of victims who suffered in the care homes of a Newport doctor.

The BBC’s Week In Week Out programme will tonight screen horrific accounts from families at the centre of the £11 million Operation Jasmine investigation.

Dr Prana Das faced a string of charges relating to neglect and fraud at six Gwent care homes run by Puretruce Health Care Limited resulting from the seven-year investigation, which involved 75 police staff, 4,126 statements, 10,534 exhibits and 103 potential victims.

But these are lying on file after he was left brain damaged by an attack.

The Argus was given an exclusive look at the film, where the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales Sarah Rochira will call for a Welsh Government inquiry into the affair, which she dubbed a catalogue of failure.

The film tells the story of Evelyn Jones, a former resident of Brithdir Care Home who suffered from horrific pressure sores.

Her granddaughter Ruth Phillips and daughter Marina Waters, from Bargoed, told journalists the sores were so badly infected the bones of her back could be seen penetrating through them.

Ms Phillips said: “The pain and suffering she must have gone through to be in that state doesn’t bear thinking about. We’d don’t feel justice has been done.”

In another case, of Stanley Bradford, from Phillipstown, New Tredegar, who was also a resident at Brithdir Care Home, who was described as being in a state “like somebody out of a POW camp” after he had been admitted to hospital.

Relatives said they had visited at meal times but on two occasions staff had forgotten to feed him.

Gwent Police Deputy chief constable Jeff Farrar told the BBC police had seen “people with pressure sores corroded down to a state that they are corroded down to the bone and where we have got people that are so dehydrated that it’s a significant cause of their death.”

“Would I want to put my family into a care home in these circumstances?

Absolutely not.”

Older People’s Commissioner Ms Rochira said: “I don’t really know any other way of describing it, other than a catalogue of failure.”

She has called on the Welsh Government to undertake a public inquiry into what has happened and who was responsible.

Nick Smith, Blaenau Gwent MP, plans to introduce a private members bill later this year to make nursing home owners and staff more accountable.

● Week In Week Out, 10.30pm, BBC One.

Doctor brain damaged

DR PRANA Das and his coaccused Paul Black did not go on trial after a beating left Dr Das brain damaged.

A couple who broke into the home of Dr Das and his wife Dr Nishebita Das, tying them up and beating them before making off with a BMW, cash and jewels worth more than £100,000 were jailed last month.

Edward Donovan, 51, of Windmill Square, Commercial Road, Newport, was given a 15-year prison sentence while Rhiannon Gibbons, 27, of Chepstow Road, Newport, was jailed for ten years.