A second case of a corpse being left on a hospital ward was confirmed today by health bosses.

A second case of a corpse being left on a hospital ward was confirmed today by health bosses.

The body was left on the ward at Glasgow Royal Infirmary for seven hours.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said the dead patient had been kept on the ward to allow grieving family to gather and pay their last respects.

Once relatives had arrived the body remained on the ward to allow a priest to travel to the hospital and conduct a blessing.

Last week it emerged a corpse was left alongside patients at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow for more than seven hours.

Hospital bosses apologised for the delay in the transfer of the Stobhill patient to the mortuary.

But today they said they had acted in the "best interests" of the family of the patient at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, who died suddenly at the hospital on August 12.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said in a statement: "It was the wishes of the grieving family that the body remain on the ward so that family members could gather to pay their last respects and also await a blessing by a priest.

"Mindful of the need to balance the request made by the family with the needs of other patients, staff arranged for the patient's body to be screened from view."

The board said the priest could only get to the hospital four hours after he was told of the patient's death.

It added that visiting time had already begun when the family left the hospital and it would have been "inappropriate and distressing" for other patients if the body had been moved at that time.

"As soon as visiting time was over staff made arrangements for a respectful transfer of the body to the mortuary," the board said.

"Care of the dying and support for the bereaved is a core component in the responsibilities of our staff.

"At all times our staff strive to ensure that death is treated with compassion and dignity.

"We believe that on this occasion our staff acted in the best interests of a grieving family."