Bosses at Airedale General Hospital are to review procedures surrounding missing patients after an inquest heard a frail 82-year-old man was found dead in a ditch.

Hospitals service manager David Outterside said that in future if patients whose health was at risk went missing they would contact the police sooner, before searching the hospital.

A Bradford inquest was told the police had not been contacted about the disappearance of Allan Armstrong until about an hour after staff at the hospital in Steeton noticed he was missing.

Mr Outterside said: "I think as a result of this we will be looking at the missing persons policy.

"If a patient is at risk healthwise we will inform the police earlier rather than search the hospital and the grounds.''

Coroner Roger Whittaker said there was nothing he could write or say to the authorities which would prevent a similar fatality occurring in the circumstances.

Mr Armstrong was admitted to Airedale General Hospital after being found at his home in a confused state last October.

A scan showed he suffered from a stroke but although he needed two walking sticks to get about Mr Armstrong's condition was said to be improving.

A search of the hospital was carried out after a nurse noticed Mr Armstrong had left the TV room after 8pm on October 6, while she was talking to visitors about another patient.

When the alarm was raised, nursing staff, porters and security guards searched the premises and TV cameras were checked, but no sighting was made.

Insp Robert Robinson told the inquest officers were called in to look for Mr Armstrong, and a police helicopter was used to search the area, but he could not be found.

Two days later, Mr Armstrong's body was discovered partially submerged in a ditch between a railway line and the Aire Valley trunk road.

A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Armstrong, of West Dene, died from hypothermia.

Coroner Roger Whittaker said it was amazing that Mr Armstrong had left both walking sticks in his room when he went missing.

A verdict of death from misadventure was recorded.

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