A PATIENT collapsed and died outside Burnley General Hospital after walking out of the building in a dressing gown to buy a Sunday newspaper at a nearby petrol station.

The 60-year-old man, who has not been named by police, fell to the floor on the pavement outside the Esso garage in Casterton Avenue, just yards from one of the hospital's main entrances.

The man, from Waterfoot, had orthopaedic surgery at the hospital on September 3 and was undergoing post-op care.

Saghir Ahmed, of Halifax Road, Brierfield, who was on duty at the service station, said: "He came into the shop to get a paper.

"As he went back out round the corner he went out of my sight and the next thing I knew someone came rushing back in and said he had collapsed outside. I rang for an ambulance and someone told me later that he had died.

"He was in a dressing gown and he had crutches under his arms. He had one of those tags with his name on it. He looked perfectly all right. "We sometimes get people from the hospital coming in for things. It happens every now and again."

A post mortem examination was expected to be held today.

Acting Inspector Jeff Brown, of Burnley police, said: "The death is not being treated as suspicious. The full details of the incident have been passed to the coroner David Smith. The man's relatives have been informed."

Val Smith, the hospital's orthopaedic services manager, said: "The hospital does all it can to discourage patients from leaving the wards but we can't stop them.

"This patient didn't let the ward staff know he was leaving and no-one saw him go. He went with another patient who has told us they left without telling anyone.

"This man had undergone 12 days post-op and was almost ready for discharge.

"We provide everything we can for patients."

There is a newspaper trolley service every day and there's a shop in the hospital that sells papers. But if someone is of a mind to leave the ward there's not a lot we can do."

The hospital has launched an investigation into the incident.

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