SCOTLAND'S largest health board has begun a review after elderly patient died on a trolley at a flagship super hospital after waiting six hours for treatment.

It is believed the OAP died at the £1 billion Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow after a cardiac arrest on Tuesday.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said its Immediate Assessment Unit had been "under extra pressure" when the man died in the early hours of Tuesday.

It confirmed that the elderly patient  had a six hour wait for treatment.

The health board said that a full review of the man's treatment and that the outcome will be shared with them when concluded.

The board also denied reports that any while the unit was busy that there were blood transfusions taking place in either the corridor or waiting areas.

A health board spokeswoman said the unit was fully staffed but was under extra pressure due to a higher than average number of patients attending the department.

She said: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with the patient’s family at this difficult time.

 “Our staff worked extremely hard to ensure patients were assessed, investigated, diagnosed, treated and admitted to a bed or discharged as quickly as possible and we apologise to patients who had a long wait.”

In a statement, the authority said: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with the patient's family at this difficult time.

"A senior member of our clinical management team has been in direct contact with the family to confirm that a full review of the patient's treatment is being carried out and that the outcome will be shared with them when concluded."

The board confirmed that the patient who died in the early hours of Tuesday morning had an initial assessment by a member of nursing staff on arrival at the Immediate Assessment Unit (IAU) at the hospital.