Wellington, Dec 26 NZPA - Police are concerned for a 78-year-old man who went missing from Waikato Hospital today.

Bruce Wells, from Coromandel, was being treated at the hospital for bone cancer.

He did not have family in Hamilton and had been missing since around midday.

He also suffered dementia and was confused about his circumstances, police said.

Police and hospital staff had searched the hospital grounds, as well as the Waikato River, Hamilton Lake and surrounding suburbs but had found no trace of Mr Wells.

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