A WATCHDOG has been asked to review a complaint against two ambulance organisations following the death of a Rhos mum.

Gwyneth Williams of Rhos died  on August 9, 2016, at Wrexham Maelor Hospital at the age of 89.

Her son Martin Williams, a former Merseyside Police officer of 30 years, has told the Leader he has serious concerns over the events which led up to her death, as well as the conclusions of the investigations which followed.

Mr Williams said arrangements were made for his mother to be taken to hospital on July 19, 2016 after she showed signs of a water infection.

Martin Williams with documents from the Ombudsman and the investigation in this mother's death. Main image: Catherine Gibney with her late grandmother Gwyneth Williams

Two members of St John Ambulance attended her home at the request of the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust (WAST) to take her.

He claims that, during the process of her being conveyed to hospital, he believes his mother sustained a fractured femur – the injury later being identified at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

An inquest held at Wrexham in December that same year concluded Mrs Williams had died as a result of bronchopneumonia as a result of the fractured femur, which was caused by a fall.

But Mr Williams submitted a complaint to North Wales Police, raising concerns over evidence given by St John Ambulance at the hearing, as well as the way the matter has handled by the coroner’s officer.

North Wales Police confirmed a complaint was recieved and duly investigated – but that no further action was subsequently taken.

Mr Williams also raised his concerns with the Welsh Ambulance Service and St John Ambulance, but says he feels his family never received a satisfactory explanation or an apology.

The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales has now confirmed it has received a request to review a complaint made against St John Cymru and WAST – after Mr Williams said the watchdog had initially declined to pursue the matter.

Mr Williams said: “I’ve gone through all of the channels I can think of and the last one was the Ombudsman. 

“We feel there has been an injustice here – that’s how my family and I feel.

“We never got a proper response from the people involved. We have been stonewalled and fobbed off.

“The loss of my mother has caused a great deal of distress in the family and the circumstances of her death have added more pain for us.

”We are still trying to comprehend the fact she was suffering only from a treatable UTI infection but instead suffered a fractured leg and subsequently passed away.”

Claire Bevan, the Welsh Ambulance Service’s director of quality, safety and patient experience, said: “We’d like to extend our deepest sympathies to Mr Williams at what we know is still a very sad and difficult time for him and his family.

“Following Mrs Williams’ tragic death, we carried out a thorough investigation into their concerns, and have met with Mr Williams to share our findings.

“Our investigation found that, based on the information provided by the doctor who assessed Mrs Williams’ condition, the Trust correctly deemed she was clinically suitable to be transported to hospital by St John Cymru Wales as an independent ambulance provider.

“We also found that the attending crew had received appropriate and up-to-date training, and were comfortable in contacting staff in our Clinical Contact Centre if they required further assistance.

“The Trust only uses St John Cymru Wales ambulance crews for the care of patients who have been assessed by a healthcare professional and found appropriate, and not for 999 calls.

“We are sincerely sorry to hear that Mr Williams is unhappy with our findings, and have provided advice to him on the options available if he remains unsatisfied.

“Once again we’d like to reiterate our heartfelt condolences to Mr Williams and his family for their loss.”

A spokesperson for St John Cymru-Wales said: “We don’t comment on individual cases, however our crews work to the highest standards of care to ensure patients are transported in a safe manner.”

A spokesman for the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales said: “I can confirm a complaint was made against St John Cymru – Wales and the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust.

“The complainant has informed the office he would like the case to be reviewed and as such it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”