Violet Burton, 79, was found dead in a ditch a quarter of a mile from Stoke Mandeville Hospital . An elderly patient suffering from dementia who wandered out of a scandal-hit hospital was found dead in a ditch the next day. Violet Burton’s body was discovered only a quarter of a mile from the grounds of Stoke Mandeville Hospital. She appears to have died from hypothermia, although the cause of death has not yet been made public. The hospital has begun an urgent investigation into how Mrs Burton, 79, said to be a ‘known wanderer’, was able to walk out of the hospital, wearing only a cardigan and trousers. She was reportedly seen by a member of staff but not stopped. The hospital’s latest Care Quality Commission report said it ‘required improvement’ in a number of areas, including in caring for those with dementia. The watchdog’s report, following an inspection in June 2014, stated: ‘The support for patients living with dementia or who may have a learning disability was inconsistent.’ It also raised concerns about staff levels, saying there was a ‘heavy reliance’ on agency staff which, in some instances, ‘affected the delivery and continuity of patient care’. Last month, the hospital, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was criticised in a scathing report into the actions of Jimmy Savile. It found that the disgraced BBC disc jockey had been allowed to abuse 68 victims there, including a boy of eight. Savile joined the hospital as a porter in 1968 and effectively lived there for more than 30 years. The report found that ten complaints were made about him, but none was ‘taken seriously’. Those who tried to blow the whistle were rebuked because senior managers thought Savile was an asset to the hospital. Mrs Burton, known as Vi Ann, was admitted to the hospital on March 7 after she was reportedly found wandering in her home village of Aston Clinton, which is near the hospital. She was described as a ‘sweet lady’ and was well known in the area, where she was often seen walking her 17-year-old dog. Stoke Mandeville (pictured), run by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, said it had launched an internal review into the incident . She was apparently seen by a member of staff leaving the Medicine for Older People area of the hospital on Monday. Thames Valley Police issued an appeal for information, but Mrs Burton’s body was found in the ditch at noon on Tuesday. She was awaiting an assessment by Buckinghamshire County Council’s social services team when she went missing. A hospital source told The Independent: ‘Her death couldn’t have happened at a worse time. The CQC had issues they were concerned about so they’ve come back for a visit and one of the things they’re looking at is patient safety. The hospital still has serious problems.’ An independent investigation into the abuse by Jimmy Savile found he had sexually abused more than 50 people at Stoke Mandeville, including staff, patients and visitors with the youngest victim aged just eight . Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, said: ‘Our deepest sympathies are with Mrs Burton’s family at this very difficult time. We respect the family’s privacy and it would be inappropriate for us to share information about any care Mrs Burton was receiving. ‘Stoke Mandeville is a general, open hospital and, as with other district general hospitals, patients are free to move around the site. We have security measures that are appropriate for each clinical environment and processes in place should an alarm be raised.’ Police said they were not treating her death as suspicious. A file has been passed to the coroner.
Violet Burton, 79, was seen leaving the unit by a staff member on Monday . She is said to have been a 'known wanderer' and police launched appeal . Body was found close to hospital, which has launched an internal review . Report last month revealed Jimmy Savile abused over 50 people on the site .