A FAMILY waited more than seven hours for an ambulance before their mum passed away, an inquest has heard.

Maria Devlin, 57, of Ashingdon Heights, Rochford, died on March 30, 2022, from a series of stomach and heart issues.

The inquest, which began yesterday, heard she began feeling unwell on March 28 and remained bedridden, barely eating and only drinking water.

The following day Maria’s condition worsened and her husband Chris called the ambulance at 5.30pm.

It arrived at 12.30am the following day and Maria was pronounced dead at 1.57am.

A two-day inquest was opened at Chelmsford Coroner’s Court in Chelmsford yesterday and is set to conclude today.

Dr Daniel Slane, former flight doctor at Essex and Herts Air Ambulance, pointed the finger at road closures and delays for the long-wait for help to arrive.

He said: “I attended the scene with my colleague as we were given the task at 12.30am.

“We were given minimal details and were only told a woman was in cardiac arrest and given a postcode.

“The air ambulance does not function at that time, so we travelled from North Weald by road and arrived at 1.20am.

“The delays were a result of the distance we had to travel a well as road closures on our way to the scene.”

Maria was diagnosed with type two diabetes and underlying cardiovascular issues prior to her death. 

Several 999 calls were made before help arrived at the scene as Maria’s family struggled to keep her alive with CPR as instructed by paramedics on the phone. 

The inquest has been adjourned and will continue in December.