A man reportedly died in a hospital coffee shop in England more than three hours before anyone realized.
On Wednesday, July 10, the 36-year-old man from the city of Birmingham, was found dead at Sandwell General Hospital in the nearby town of West Bromwich after heading to the coffee shop in the main reception area, per The Sunday Times, BBC News and The Telegraph.
The Sunday Times reported that the man didn’t move after 1.30 p.m. local time but medical staff and members of the public continued to go about their day around him.
A security guard reportedly tried to wake the man at around 4.45 p.m. before doctors attempted to resuscitate him, according to The Sunday Times. However, rigor mortis had already set in, which suggested he’d been dead for multiple hours at that point.
Per the National Institutes of Health, rigor mortis “is the post-mortem stiffening of muscles.”
Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich, England.
David Jones – PA Images/PA Images via Getty
The incident happened in a region of the U.K. known as the Black Country, which gained its name during the 19th Century when the area was regularly filled with smoke and soot from the many coal mines and ironworks set up during the Industrial Revolution.
A spokesperson for the Black Country Coroners Service said in a statement that they could “confirm that the coroner has received notification of this death” but added that it was currently “unable to provide any information.”
Per the BBC, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust is currently looking into the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.
The Black Country Healthcare Trust and The Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE.
The Sunday Times stated the man had been treated at the hospital before being referred to Hallam Street Hospital, which is an adult mental health facility, across the road.
“We are investigating the circumstances around the sad, sudden death of a man on our hospital site. The coroner has been informed,” a Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust spokesperson told the outlet.
Stock image of a Costa coffee store.
John Smith/Shutterstock
The Black Country Coroners Service told the paper, “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,” the coroner’s service added.
A Black Country Healthcare Trust spokesperson said they were “deeply saddened to hear about the passing of the patient,” per the publication, adding, “We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding this situation, our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.”
Chief executive of the Patients Association, Rachel Power, told The Sunday Times, “Hospitals are a place where people should feel safe and if their health deteriorates, that staff will take care of them in a timely fashion. But the system is now so under pressure that it seems some patients are simply being overlooked.”
The report comes after it was reported last week that a Wells Fargo employee had been found dead in her cubicle four days after she clocked into work in Tempe, Arizona.
On Friday, Aug. 16 at around 7 a.m. local time, Denise Prudhomme, 60, arrived at the company’s office near Priest Drive and Washington Street, police said in a statement obtained. Prudhomme’s body was then discovered at a third-floor desk in the office by on-site security on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Wells Fargo said in a statement, “We are committed to the safety and wellness of our workforce and are reviewing our own internal procedures after this event.”
