More families of patients who died in hospital have complained they were not told their loved-ones had MRSA.

The problem has got so bad many undertakers are assuming every body they receive from hospitals is infected with the deadly bug.

The Argus reported on Monday that the family of 69-year-old MRSA victim Pamela Weller only discovered she had the infection after seeing her death certificate. Now other families have come forward with similar complaints.

Elaine Marchant, of Norfolk Mews, Brighton, said she only found out what was wrong with her dying mother when she got a look at her hospital notes after she had been moved to a nursing home.

Mrs Marchant said doctors found Grace Howlett had the infection while staying at Brighton General Hospital after a spell in Crawley Hospital last year. The pensioner, in her late 80s, had badly cut her legs in a fall but Mrs Marchant was never told she had MRSA.

She said: "I think they are covering up details of MRSA so as not to scare people but finding them in your parent's notes is far more frightening, I can assure you.

"The hospital was filthy. She was sent to Vernon Gardens nursing home and it was there I saw her notes. I read them and was shocked to see she had tested positive for MRSA - it was there in black and white but I hadn't been told.

"I had looked after her and handled her soiled clothes. What if I had a cut in my hand? I could have contracted it. I was put at risk, my family was put at risk."

Another man, who asked not to be named, told The Argus his father had died of MRSA after recovering from a hip operation at the Royal Sussex.

He too received no official confirmation of his father's infection until he received his death certificate.

Pamela Weller's funeral director told The Argus she treats every body from the Royal Sussex as though it is infected.

Teresa Baker, who owns the Caring Lady Funeral Directors, Peacehaven, said she received no notification Pamela Weller had MRSA.

She said: "The hospital doesn't tell us, though they should. They don't make such a big thing out of it because most people come out of the hospital with it nowadays.

"We have to treat every body that comes out of the hospital as though they have MRSA. I think the hospital is too dirty and the hand gels just aren't being used enough."

Mrs Baker said funeral technicians now wore protective clothing when dealing with bodies to stop them catching the infections. Other undertakers, she said, were taking the same precautions.

Sarah Healey, director of nursing and governance at Brighton General Hos-pital, said: "We are quite open with relatives and carers of patients who have MRSA because there is no reason not to be. There is no risk to relatives or carers who wash clothes for people with MRSA unless they have open wounds.

"If Mrs Marchant has got any issues about the care of her mother that she would like to raise with us, we are very happy to talk to her."

Dr Marc Cubbon, infection control lead for Brighton and Sussex University hospitals, said: "Undertakers are advised to take precautions with all bodies. No additional precautions are needed for MRSA.

"When we know a patient has HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis or another notifiable disease, then we place the body in a body bag and label it high risk."