A WOMAN has died after falling from a balcony in Southmead Hospital.

The unnamed woman, who was not a patient at the hospital, died after falling into the atrium of the hospital’s Brunel Building yesterday morning.

Police, who attended the scene, have said they are treating the incident as sudden death, and have referred the case to the coroner’s office.

A spokesman for the North Bristol NHS Trust, who run the hospital said until now there had never been incident of this nature inside the Brunel Building since it opened in May 2014.

The spokesman said: “We are working with Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust and Avon and Somerset Police following an incident inside Southmead Hospital’s Brunel building on Sunday morning. We can confirm that unfortunately a woman died.

“The trust is supporting staff and patients with help from the hospital’s chaplaincy team.

“Our health and safety team will be carrying out a risk assessment in response to the incident.”

A spokesman for the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust said: “Following an incident that happened yesterday at Southmead Hospital, we are supporting partner agencies with their enquiries as necessary.”