A hospital has launched an investigation after a father died following a six-hour wait in A&E.

Stewart Fleming, 37, a signalman from Rainham, died at the weekend.

It is thought he was suffering from a viral infection, which attacked his heart, kidneys and liver.

He began feeling unwell on Thursday, December 4.

~Listen: Stewart's wife Sarah spoke to us about his arduous wait in A&E>>>

When a course of antibiotics failed to improve his condition his GP sent him to Medway Maritime Hospital with a letter saying he needed to be admitted immediately.

But his visit to A&E coincided with a period of unprecedented demand at the hospital and he was forced to wait to be assessed.

He had been looking forward to spending Christmas at home with his wife Sarah and two children, Matthew and Lauren.

Instead, he was in a drug-induced coma in the intensive care ward of a top London hospital with his devoted partner at his side.

He lost his fight for life on Saturday night.

Sarah, his wife of 15 years, believes his wait in A&E harmed his chances of survival.

She said: “There are many questions. Why wait three hours for triage when his doctor had already done it and put it in writing? He should have been dealt with immediately.”

Speaking before his death, a spokesman for Medway NHS Foundation Trust said it was sorry to hear about Mr Fleming’s condition and encouraged the family to contact its complaints department.

A spokesman for Medway Maritime Hospital said: "We are saddened to hear of the death of Stewart Fleming and would like to express our condolences.

"Mr Fleming came to Medway’s Emergency Department on a day when it was experiencing long waits due to high numbers of admissions. The situation was not unique to Medway – hospitals across the country were all experiencing a rise in demand for their services at this time.

"Although nothing can compensate for this tragic loss, we are currently investigating the case internally."