A man who had been “slumped over a table” at a hospital cafe was later discovered to be dead, with three hours passing before anyone noticed.
The 36-year-old Birmingham man had been sitting in a branch of Costa Coffee at Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich.
He entered the cafe through the hospital’s main reception area on July 10 but was not seen moving past 1.30pm.
Three hours passed before any alarm was raised, with members of the public alongside NHS staff continuing to use the cafe unaware of the dead body inside.
It was only at 4.55pm, several hours later, that a security guard noticed that the 36-year-old had not moved in a very long time.
Doctors were quickly alerted and staff from the A&E department tried to resuscitate him but to no avail.
Rigor mortis had already begun to set in, suggesting the man had been dead for several hours.
The man had earlier been seen to by medical staff at the hospital, where he was then referred for further treatment at Hallam Street Hospital, an adult mental health facility just across the road.
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The 36 year-old man from Birmingham had been sitting in a branch of Costa Coffee (not pictured) in the hospital
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After leaving Hallam Street Hospital at midday, he came back to Sandwell and walked in through the main reception.
A source told The Sunday Times that the cafe was frequently used by homeless people so this could have been a reason as to why he was not checked on by staff.
A spokesman for Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust said: “We are investigating the circumstances around the sad, sudden death of a man on our hospital site. The coroner has been informed.”
He had earlier been seen to by medical staff at the hospital
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The Black Country Coroners Service said the death was under investigation and that the coroner had requested specialist reports.
It said: “The cause of death is yet to be ascertained hence why no inquest has yet been opened. The coroner will make a decision based on the reports as to whether an inquest is required.”
A spokesman for the Black Country Healthcare Trust added: “We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of the patient, we are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding this situation, our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.”
Source Agencies
