Spain has today launched criminal investigations into 37 care homes after grieving relatives of thousands of elderly coronavirus victims claimed 'they were left to die'.

The Public Prosecutor is also looking into 124 private cases whilst the country's 'Patient Ombudsman' is investigating another 200 complaints.

These claim that the elderly in care and nursing homes were not tested for COVID-19, were not provided with health care and their families were not allowed to take them home.

A resident of the Hospital Sant Miquel care home for the elderly is tested during a COVID-19 coronavirus testing campaign in Barcelona on April 15

One relative told the Spanish press: 'They have been left to die.'

If negligence is found, charges of manslaughter or criminal neglect could be filed against owners, local authorities or staff.

However, health chiefs say the prosecutor would have to take into account the exceptional circumstances of the coronavirus health crisis, the lack of previous experience and the pressures staff were under before deciding to take any court action.

Healthcare workers take a swab sample from a resident of the Hospital Sant Miquel care home for the elderly during a COVID-19 coronavirus testing campaign in Barcelona on April 15

More than 19,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Spain. It is being estimated that at least 11,000 old folk in care, nursing or residential homes have been victims but it is not known how many of these are included in Spain's official death toll.

The Ministry of Health has asked all regions to supply precise details of how many people have died in nursing homes but admits that not all of the information has yet been supplied.

Dolores Delgado, Spain's attorney general, says the investigations are being carried out in eight autonomous communities, including Madrid (19 investigations).

The others are Catalonia (seven) with five in Castilla-La Mancha, two in Castilla y León and Murcia; and one each in the Canarias, Valencia and Cantabria.

A doctor attends to a woman at the Las Praderas care home for the elderly in Pozuelo de Alarcon near Madrid on April 15

The probe follows confirmation that the Military Emergency Unit had found the abandoned corpses of elderly residents when disinfecting care homes.

The establishments under investigation have not been named.

The shocking toll of deaths in nursing homes has included more than 20 in one centre alone in Madrid.

The Ministry of Defence says it has so far disinfected 3,800 care homes across Spain.