THE family of a man who died at a nursing home say they are appalled they had to pay two weeks’ fees after he died.

The 82-year-old man passed away at Lindley Grange Nursing Home this month after losing his battle with prostrate cancer.

But his family, who do not want to be named, said they were stunned when they received a letter telling them they had to pay two extra weeks’ fees, totalling £1,200.

A relative said: “It is disgusting.

“There is nothing we can do about it because we signed the contract, but somebody has died and we still have to pay fees for the time after he died.”

The family had to wait three months before they could get the man into the Acre Street home.

He was suffering with cancer and his health was deteriorating.

He lived at the home for just six weeks before he died.

“We would have signed anything to get him some comfort,” the relative added. “The staff were fantastic – we can’t complain at all about them – but the system is wrong.

“They are in such high demand they could let the room to someone else the following day, so they could be getting double rates for that room.

“It is appalling they are charging for someone who has died when they cannot use what is being paid for.”

The family cleared the man’s room the day after he died.

The relative said: “We did that because we waited for a long time, so we thought others may be waiting too. Those beds are few and far between.

“I am more annoyed about it than anything else. It is the principle of it that concerns me. It is immoral.

“I don’t want anyone else to unwittingly fall into the same trap.”

The agreement the family signed has a clause which states the family have to pay two weeks rates in full. They are also asked to clear the room as soon as possible.

The relative added: “It is an emotional time for us. It’s not that we could have said no anyway because we wouldn’t have got him in there.”

Tracey Fletcher, regional director of BUPA Care Homes, said: “The death of a loved one can be a very difficult and stressful time.

“Care homes try to provide time so that people don’t need to worry immediately about collecting or sorting through personal effects from their relative's room.

“This is why the 14-day period is built into and is clearly stated in all our contracts.”