A LAWYER representing the family of a Gresford woman who died at Wrexham Maelor Hospital last year said: "The system is broken".

At a pre-inquest hearing into the death of Samantha Jane Brousas, Stephen Jones representing her family said there were "clues” in witness statements which suggested more than just individual failings in the delay in treating Ms Brousas before her death on February 23, 2018.

Mr Jones said the emergency department at the Maelor had been "unsafe and overcrowded" on the evening of Wednesday, February 21 and the system itself had been responsible for Ms Brousas being kept inside an ambulance on the hospital car park for more than two hours before she was finally admitted.

Mr Jones told the hearing in Ruthin the family were in the process of instructing their own expert to carry out a report into what happened to Ms Bousas, 49, because they fundamentally disagreed with the findings contained in a report made by Professor Solomon Almond, which had been commissioned by Joanne Lees, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central.

Investigations following the death were necessary, according to Ms Lees, but Mr Jones said the family's decision to appoint an expert of their own was "unlikely to cause any further delay in the process".

Mr Jones added: "It is fair to say the family are concerned about what happened in the [doctors'] surgery before she was sent to hospital."

Patricia Gaskell, who was representing both Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust at the hearing, admitted both organisations accepted failures had been made in the delayed treatment of Ms Brousas, but said they were as a result of individual error and that "learning was paramount".

She said: "There is a triage policy in place, but because of demand on that day it was not adhered to.

"However, this was not a case of system failure per se, because if procedures had been followed they would have mitigated that."

The inquest was adjourned for at least 28 days to allow enough time for additional statements to be taken and further evidence to be submitted to the coroner.