A pensioner was abandoned at a hospital’s casualty department with a note from his family stating “we can’t cope”, it emerged today.

The elderly man, believed to be in his 70s, was found by concerned staff at Oldchurch Hospital in Romford, Essex, last week.

The man is now in the care of social services after first being given a medical check by doctors.

A Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals Trust spokeswoman confirmed that the pensioner had been left at one of its hospital’s casualty departments.

She added: “A gentleman was found in A&E at Oldchurch Hospital with a letter suggesting that his family could no longer cope.

“What our staff did, when the nurses realised he hadn’t been booked in for assessment and was sitting on his own, was to assess him and check him over.

“They made sure he was not physically distressed in any way and then contacted social services and the police.

“We believe he is now in an interim care placement.”