Stroke victim spent 20 hours lying unconscious in Sydney hospital

The 67-year-old man had arrived at Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital on Monday for a routine appointment for his diabetes treatment, Nine News reports. Photo / Thinkstock

A man in Sydney who suffered a stroke in a hospital toilet spent more than 20 hours lying unconscious on the floor before he was found by a cleaner the next day, local media reports say.

The 67-year-old man had arrived at Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital on Monday for a routine appointment for his diabetes treatment, Nine News reports.

He failed to present himself to outpatient clinic staff for his appointment and was considered a "no show".

The Daily Mail says his panicked wife called the hospital later in the day when the man failed to return home and she reported him missing when she was told he didn't turn up for his appointment.

The man, who had suffered a stroke, was found on Tuesday when a cleaner discovered him in the toilet cubicle.

Royal North Shore Hospital has launched a major investigation into how the man remained unnoticed in the toilet after becoming incapacitated, NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner said.

"This is a distressing case and I extend my sympathy to this gentleman and his family," Skinner said.

Dr Andrew Montague, the director of operations at the Northern Sydney Local Health District, said the hospital had reviewed it's CCTV footage to find out what happened.

He said cleaners normally check the toilets before closing up each day, but for some reason they weren't checked on the day the man collapsed.