A hospital patient who died of thirst dialled 999 begging for help when nurses neglected to give him a drink, an inquest heard.

Kane Gorny, 22, of Weir Road, Balham, needed regular medication to keep him hydrated after undergoing surgery for a brain tumour.

He was sent to St George's Hospital, Tooting, for a hip replacement after steroids weakened the bone.

But Mr Gorny died three days after the operation when nurses in the hospital failed to give him his tablets.

Mum Rita Cronin said the family were put through even more trauma after a nurse asked if they had finished tending his body so she could "bag him up."

Westminster Coroner's Court heard Mr Gorny was anxious before the operation, with his mum repeatedly telling nurses about his medication.

She said he was happy following the surgery and called his friend, but realised something was wrong when her son called her the day after to say the nurse would not give him a drink.

Mr Gorny also called police in desperation but they were turned away by staff who claimed he was confused and everything was under control.

His mum rushed to the hospital to find a commotion around her son's bed, with hospital workers deciding to sedate Mr Gorny after he became aggressive.

She said: "When I got to the hospital I thought, what the hell is going on. It looked like they were gossiping and laughing.

"His drip had come out when he had been aggressive and security guards had come into the ward."

He was put into a separate room for the evening by staff, who seemed unable to cope with Mr Gorny's distressed state.

The next morning Mrs Cronin arrived at the hospital to find his lips and tongue swollen, but was told by a nurse "He has had a good night, there is nothing wrong with him."

But when a doctor on routine ward checks attended he realised something was seriously wrong.

Mrs Cronin told the court it was at that moment she realised her son had not been given any medication or fluids.

Fighting back tears, she said: "It dawned on me, he has not had any medication, observation or fluids. No-one put his drip back on.

"Nobody has done anything since yesterday, since he became aggressive."

She said a top doctor came to speak to her and said she must see her son, as he was dying.

When she got to his bed he was already dead with the nurse apparently more concerned about changing the sheet under him.

The inquest continues for three days next week.