A CRAVEN nursing home is defending its actions to keep patient information confidential.

The Herald was contacted by Rod Sibbons following the death of Dennis Carnegie, a resident at Gargrave Park Nursing Home.

Mr Sibbons was upset he had not notified of Mr Carnegie's death on June 30 even though he believed he was the next of kin.

Mr Carnegie, from Aberdeen and known as Jock, had been diagnosed with premature senile dementia three years ago and had been cared for at Eshton Hall prior to its closure. Before that he was in hospital in Lancashire and it was during that time Mr Sibbons says he was named as Jock's next of kin.

"I didn't know Jock that well, only through the fact his former partner Jan Bowyer is my ex-wife," said Mr Sibbons. "For a long time I had nothing to do with him. But one day he asked to see me because he was lost. After that he asked me to act as his next of kin."

Mr Sibbons said 57-year-old Jock was moved to Eshton Hall around Christmas 2000 and he visited him occasionally and took Jock's seven-year-old daughter Shannon to see him.

He said he saw Jock less and less as his illness became worse.

He was not aware of his death until Jan Bowyer - Shannon's mother - received a letter from the Child Support Agency about three weeks ago.

The letter mentioned Jock's death and offered advice on child maintenance. It was the first Miss Bowyer knew of his death and the first she and Mr Sibbons knew of the move to Gargrave Park.

Mr Sibbons is upset about the way Shannon learned of her father's death. "I have spoken to a solicitor and she is trying to trace all Jock's children because there is an army pension which should be paid to them," he said.

Julie Newton, matron of Gargrave Park and former matron at Eshton Hall, said Mr Sibbons was not notified of Mr Carnegie's death because he wasn't indicated as next of kin.

"Mr Carnegie's file, both at Eshton Hall and at Gargrave Park, stated that his sister was next of kin," she said.

She added that patient confidentiality was strictly adhered to and the home would certainly not divulge information relating to a patient's files.