A HOSPITAL patient was found dead in a toilet 12 hours after he went missing.

An investigation is now under way at Medway Maritime Hospital to discover why the disabled patient, a man in his 50s, was not located for such a long time.

He was found in a cubicle on McCullough Ward having fallen from his wheelchair.

He was reported missing at 10pm on Sunday but his body was not found until the following morning by a cleaner.

A nurse from the hospital, who did not wish to be named, said: "It’s disgusting no one checked the toilet. Everyone here is outraged."

McCullough Ward had been closed for deep cleaning after an outbreak of clostridium difficile, a potentially fatal bug which causes diarrhoea and sickness. But it was fully operational when the man went missing.

A hospital spokesman said: "A formal investigation is in progress. Medway Maritime NHS Trust would like to convey its deepest sympathies to the family of the patient in this case."

Police said the man’s death was not thought to be suspicious.

* See Friday's Medway Messenger for the full story.