A MAN died needlessly in hospital after his pleas for help were ignored by an incompetent nurse.

Derek Sauter, 60, was even refused a glass of water during a catalogue of failings while he stayed at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Kent.

After his death, the hospital investigated ward nurse Caroline Lowe and found she had committed 13 serious errors in her care of the married grandfather-of-three.

She was dismissed and now faces being struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s conduct and competence panel.

Mr Sauter’s daughter, Ruth Sauter, 42, of Lenmore Avenue, Grays, called the incident a “disgrace”.

She said: “He was not a well man, but it was not his time to die.

“We were expecting him home after the weekend. Instead he died alone, thirsty and scared on that ward. We did not even get the chance to say goodbye.”

Mr Sauter was admitted to the hospital in June 2008 with a chest infection. A hospital report into the case concluded his safety was “severely compromised” after he was wrongly moved into a private room where he was not monitored.

It says Miss Lowe used “intimidating language” and warned Mr Sauter if he continued to phone doctors for assistance he could be prosecuted for harassment.

It revealed Mr Sauter’s oxygen levels, which should have been routinely monitored, were not checked for 11 hours and had dropped 35 per cent below the recommended level.

The report concluded had it not been for the failings of Miss Lowe, Mr Sauter would have survived.

His family later found a handwritten note by Mr Sauter which said nurses refused to give him any water because he had already accidentally knocked over the first cup he had been given.

The Echo tried to unsuccessfully contact Miss Lowe through the Queen Mary’s Hospital. She had previously told a national newspaper she was sorry for what had happened and had been left “traumatised” by it.

A spokesman for the South London Healthcare NHS Trust said: “We would like to apologise to the Sauter family for the failings in care Derek Sauter received during his time as an in-patient at our hospital in 2008.

“Following a formal investigation, the trust believes Mr Sauter did not receive a proper and professional standard of care that he and his family had a right to expect.”