HOSPITAL bosses have refused to comment on their on-going investigation into the death of a patient who died of the MRSA superbug.

Ernest Wilde died from the infection at Winchester's Royal Hampshire County Hospital (RHCH) after going there for an operation for cancer of the colon.

Board members of the Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the RHCH, were questioned at their monthly meeting on Thursday by the Chairman of Winchester City Residents Association Alan Weeks.

He told them of his organisation's concern at the case and said the seven complaints listed in the article were overwhelming.

As revealed exclusively in the Daily Echo, Mr Wilde's family accused the hospital of a catalogue of mistakes and poor treatment while the 67-year-old, from Jarvis Fields, Bursledon, was a patient there.

These included being left lying in urine-soaked sheets for hours and the family having to clean blood from his seeping wounds.

Chairman of the board David Livermore said: "The matter is being investigated and we are taking it very seriously.

"There is no point in us commenting until the investigation is done, but we are taking it very seriously."