Gibbs in talks with hospital

Maurice Gibb died on Sunday aged 53

Staff at the Miami hospital where Bee Gee Maurice Gibb died are talking to his brothers after they expressed concerns over the star's treatment.

Bee Gees Barry and Robin Gibb had earlier said they would investigate the hospital's procedures after Maurice died from a heart attack on Sunday, after being admitted for an operation on his intestines.

A spokesperson for the Mount Sinai Medical Center said: "We are aware what the family has said. Our response is limited by privacy laws, which prohibit us from disclosing or discussing private health information about any patient.

"Medical records in this country are considered confidential information," she said.

Fans were shocked at the singer's death

"As we would do with any family of any patient, if they have concerns, we are here and willing to discuss the matter with them, and that's what we're doing," she said.

Devastated

The spokeswoman confirmed Maurice had "experienced cardiac arrest" before his operation.

Preparations for his funeral in the US have begun. He is expected to be cremated later this week in Miami, with a memorial service to follow in the UK.

Speaking exclusively to the BBC, Barry and Robin Gibb said they were perplexed as to how their brother had been admitted with a stomach blockage - and then apparently died from another illness.

In an emotional state soon after Maurice's death, the brothers said they were "devastated" and "completely pole-axed" by their loss and paid tribute to the "most sweetest, generous" man.

Barry Gibb confirmed he had not been present at the Mount Sinai Medical Centre for many of the key moments of his brother's treatment and said he had been told much of what he knew second-hand.

But he said: "We will pursue every factor, every element, every second of the timeline, of the final hours of Maurice's life.

The Bee Gees have sold more than 110 million records

"We will pursue that relentlessly. That will be our quest from now on."

Robin Gibb said he had been told the doctors had decided to take rapid action after the heart attack and had found the ill star was suffering from a "twisted intestine" which could have been a "birth defect". He said 80% of his brother's intestines had then been removed.

The brothers have vowed they will continue making music as The Bee Gees as a tribute to Maurice.

They told the BBC: "It is what he would have wanted us to do."

The brothers, who have been performing together since the late 1950s, have made almost 30 albums together and sold more than 110 million albums in their career.