A dying grandfather was denied a bedpan at Addenbrooke's Hospital.

Relatives of William Patton, a 76-year-old grandfather of 17 and great-grandfather of seven, have criticised staff for their "disgusting" behaviour.

Mr Patton, from Davy Road, Cambridge, died last week after contracting MRSA and C Difficile - his family also want to know why his death certificate mentions only one of the superbugs.

His daughter, Sally Unwin, said: "While I was in the room with my dad he asked for the bedpan. When I went and spoke to the nurse she told me he could do it where he was, and I replied I didn't think so.

She went and got a bed pan after that but I think it's disgusting. That was the last time my dad asked for anything before he died and to hear something like that was disgraceful.

Everyone deserves that last bit of dignity. Nobody should take that away from them. An Addenbrooke's spokesman said: "It is completely unacceptable for a patient to be told that they cannot have a bedpan. We have apologised to Mrs Unwin, and senior staff are investigating her complaint."

"Staff are working hard to reduce infections - there are far fewer cases now than there were five years ago - but we don't want to downplay the significance of infection to the small number of patients concerned."