RELATIVES of a man whose body was left on a hospital ward for eight hours have not been told because bosses said it would "distress" them.

Health chiefs apologised for the "unacceptable delay" in moving the body to the mortuary and said they were wrestling with a "judgement call" on whether to tell relatives.

The admission came after the Evening Telegraph revealed how staff shortages at cash-strapped East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust had resulted in overnight porters being told to ask if bodies could be left until morning before they are taken to the mortuary.

The body was left from 11pm on Wednesday last week to 7am on Thursday on the general medical ward C4, which bosses admitted "was due in part" to only one porter being on duty. Two are needed to move a body.

At first the Trust said the problem had occurred "over the last few weeks" and only affected the "very occasional night shift".

But it has now confirmed that only one overnight porter had been on duty from Monday last week and this would continue until this Sunday at the earliest.

Lynn Wissett, the director at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said: "The relatives of this particular individual we haven't contacted as yet.

"If they are not asking questions it might be more damaging to them to tell them in retrospect.

"It could cause further distress to a family. We have to make a judgement call at the moment around that."

Coun Tony Humphrys, chairman of Blackburn with Darwen health scrutiny committee, said: "I am surprised and concerned they haven't told the family, you would have thought that was the first thing they would do. I think the family would want to know."

John Amos, chairman of the Patient and Public Involvement Forum watchdog which oversees the trust, said: "I think the trust is right.

"Telling the family I think would cause unnecessary distress."