Costa del Sol hospital investigates death of patient in A&E waiting room

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A person accompanying another patient who was also waiting reported the death of the man, who may have been suffering from an advanced serious illness

José Antonio Sau

Wednesday, 15 April 2026, 11:31

The Costa del Sol hospital in Marbella has opened an internal investigation to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of a man in the A&E waiting room on 27 March.

According to sources, the man, who was reportedly homeless, went to the hospital with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. After undergoing the initial assessment, he sat and waited to be called. When the hosptal staff eventually called his name, he didn't answer. The reason for this remains unclear.

A person accompanying another patient eventually realised that he was not moving and reported it to the hospital staff, who confirmed his death. A source has said that he may have suffered a heart attack, although this has not been confirmed.

The hospital has opened an investigation into his death. The current status of the police or judicial investigation has not been made public.

Other sources have denied any malpractice or neglect. One source believes that the man had not spent a long time waiting before the staff called his name, although they do not specify the number of hours that elapsed between the initial assessment and the discovery.

It appears the man may have been suffering from a serious, advanced illness.

In response to SUR's inquiry, the Andalusian health service said: "Due to data protection regulations, we cannot provide information on the clinical status of any patient. In the case you raise, the Costa del Sol hospital applied the established emergency protocols for patient care at all times and no anomalies or deficiencies were detected. However, the hospital has opened an internal investigation and remains at the disposal of the judicial authorities."