The body of a woman who died in a hospital toilet could have lain there undiscovered for as long as two days, it emerged yesterday.
The corpse was found on November 11 by a workman working in the neighbouring lavatory on an accident and emergency ward.
Staff at Solihull hospital in the West Midlands believe the body could be that of a patient who had taken an overdose.
The dead woman, who has not been named, is understood to have lived locally and had two children.
She discharged herself from the accident and emergency unit before staff could treat her.
Michael Summers, the chairman of the Patients Association, described the incident as "extremely alarming".
"It's disgraceful that such a thing could happen without the knowledge of the hospital authorities.
"One would hope that areas like toilets and washing areas in hospitals are cleaned at least once, hopefully twice, a day.
"If it turns out that this unfortunate woman had been in the toilet for two days, that is extremely alarming. Whether or not the hospital had contracted or in-house cleaners, had the proper cleaning procedures taken place, the body would have been found sooner.
"It also poses serious questions about the security. You would hope that the hospital has staff who are making the relevant checks.
"As far as cleanliness in hospitals goes, it is absolutely vital the toilets are kept clean to prevent the spreading of diseases.
"Hospital infection leads to MRSA which has become a serious problem over the last few years and is something that we have been fighting against."
A spokesman for Birmingham Heartlands & Solihull NHS trust - which recently gained a three-star government rating - said an investigation had been launched.
He added that the door of the bathroom had been locked from the inside.
Staff had called the police after the patient discharged herself as they were worried about her welfare.
A West Midlands police spokeswoman said they were not treating the death, which is being dealt with by the coroner's office, as suspicious
