THE son of a Newport pensioner who died after going missing from a Pontypool hospital said his father did not get the basic care he needed.

Ronald Bowman, 74, went missing from Panteg County Hospital in June where he was a patient. His body was found a few weeks later in a nearby river.

Mr Bowman's case has now appeared in a new Patients Association report after his son told the charity that his father did not receive the "basic care" he needed.

Mr Bowman, from Langstone, had been admitted to the Royal Gwent Hospital with meningitis and was later transferred to Panteg's Hafen Deg ward, which is designed especially for patients with dementia.

The family were told he would be checked on by staff every 15 minutes but Mr Bowman managed to escape from the ward twice - one time he was found in the hospital car park and then in the reception.

He escaped again on June 29 and went missing for three weeks before his body was found in a nearby river.

Mr Bowman's family believe he was trying to cross the river so he could get home to his wife.

The family have accused the hospital's staff of not appropriately caring for Mr Bowman despite being assured by them that he was being well looked after.

His son Nick Bowman said in the report: "My family and I are incredibly hurt and distressed that after my father was admitted to hospital with meningitis, and seemingly making a recovery, he was left without any of the basic care that he deserved and he needed."

The Patients Association report lists 13 accounts from patients or relatives who have experienced poor care in hospitals and care homes.

The Aneurin Bevan Health Board, responsible for Panteg County Hospital, said in the report that a serious incident investigation has taken place.

It said: "We have maintained contact with Mr Bowman's family and have shared our investigation findings with them in a recent meeting."

The health board said it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.

Nick Bowman said the family is expecting to receive a final version of the health board's report in the next few months.