Man's death probe after A&E delay

Stewart Fleming attended the A&E unit with a suspected viral infection

An inquiry is under way into the death of a man after a two-hour delay in him being seen by an A&E unit in Kent.

The Medway NHS Foundation Trust said it was saddened by the death of Stewart Fleming, 37, of Rainham, who attended with a suspected viral infection.

It said he attended the Medway Maritime Hospital on 15 December at 1816 GMT and was seen by a triage nurse at 2020 GMT.

It said the unit had been experiencing long waits due to the high numbers of admissions.

Mr Fleming's family has expressed concern at the way in which his case was handled, saying he had a note from his GP requesting immediate admission.

The trust said it was currently investigating the case internally and it urged the Fleming family to make contact so discussions with them could take place.

In a statement, the trust added: "The situation was not unique to Medway - hospitals across the country were all experiencing a rise in demand for their services at this time."