AN INQUEST on a Flintshire woman has been adjourned because the coroner was unaware an independent report on her death had been prepared.

At what became a pre-inquest hearing in Ruthin, John Gittins, coroner for North Wales (East and Central), said it was “very unsatisfactory” that he had not been informed about the report until a couple of days ago.

He was also critical of the information provided by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to consultant neurosurgeon Jeremy Holland who had not been provided with the provisional cause of death which followed a post-mortem examination.

Janet Marian Burns, 63, of Lyme Grove, Buckley, died at Wrexham Maelor Hospital on March 2, 2018 and consultant pathologist Dr Mark Atkinson who carried out the post-mortem, gave the cause of death as intracerebral haemorrhage – a bleed on the brain – which is a natural cause of death.

Mr Gittins said after learning of concerns among Miss Burns’ family about possible ambulance delays and her care in the emergency department, he had decided an inquest was necessary.

But Trish Gaskell, representing the health board, said in line with Welsh Government regulations Dr Holland, an independent expert, had been engaged to produce a report.

He referred to a possible trauma, but it emerged he had not been provided with Dr Atkinson’s findings.

Mr Gittins said he had been unaware of the existence of Dr Holland’s report until Tuesday, June 25.

“The reality is that everybody except me knew it was happening,” he said. “It is simply not good enough.”

Mrs Gaskell apologised for the error and said there had been “a disconnect” between two departments within the board.

Adjourning the hearing to a date to be fixed, Mr Gittins called for a supplementary report by Dr Holland.