The family of a man who died when he went missing after being refused admission to a psychiatric hospital have now waited 40 working days without an answer to their complaint about his care.

Manic depressive Derek Chalmers, 55, presented himself at Lynfield Mount Hospital in Daisy Hill, Bradford, where he was a former patient, in the early hours of the day and asked to be admitted.

He was given a psychiatric assessment but Bradford District Care Trust, which runs the hospital, said doctors decided he did not need to be admitted and offered him a support plan at his home in Lidget Green.

He went missing later that day. His family never saw or heard from him again.

Weeks later his badly decomposed body was found by police in a garden in East Keswick on the A659 Harewood Road midway between Leeds and Wetherby.

Unhappy with her father's care his daughter, Louise Tindal, lodged an official complaint with health bosses at the hospital.

"It's been 40 working days since we put the complaint in and we still haven't had a satisfactory response as to why dad was refused admission," said Miss Tindal, 22.

"We have also asked for his medical records to be released but that hasn't been done either."

The family has received a response from the hospital explaining that the reason for the delay is that a member of staff is off sick.

A spokesman for Bradford District Care Trust said: "We sympathise with Mr Chalmers's family at this difficult time.

"We have kept in contact with the family and have explained to them the delay in thoroughly investigating their concerns. We will be in touch with the family very soon to update them on our progress."

A spokesman for mental health charity Rethink said: "We are supporting the family through the process.

"We want all the delays and obstacles being put in place by the hospital removed as soon as possible to help the family get answers to their questions about what happened to Mr Chalmers in the weeks leading up to his death.

"We would urge the hospital to co-operate fully with the family at this difficult time.

"This is not about blame, it is about improving services for the next person that comes along."

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "Under the NHS Complaints Regulations 2004 a response to a complaint must be sent within 20 working days beginning on the date on which the complaint was made or as soon as it is reasonably practicable."