Dead patient lay in Grimsby hospital room for four days

The incident at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, in Grimsby, is being investigated

An investigation has been launched after the body of a dead patient was left in a hospital viewing room for four days.

The person, who died at Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, was found in a room in the A&E department.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLAG) said the patient's family had been notified and issued an apology to their relatives.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has also been informed of the incident.

In a statement NLAG chief executive Peter Reading said: "We are investigating an incident regarding a patient not being taken to our mortuary as soon as we'd expect.

"We have informed the family and I would like to, once again, offer my condolences and apologise to them. We are carrying out an investigation and will share the findings with the family once complete."

The incident has also been reported to the Human Tissue Authority, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A CQC spokesperson said: "Inspectors were notified about this by the trust who are currently reviewing the incident.

"We will follow-up with the trust as part of our ongoing monitoring of services."