A coroner has expressed her concerns after the death of a woman who had to wait overnight for an ambulance while suffering abdominal pain.

An inquest concluded into the death of Susan Dear at Berkshire Coroners Court on September 9 last year.

The 72-year-old died at the age of 72 on January 4 last year after suffering from abdominal pain and having to wait overnight for an ambulance despite being categorised as a higher priority.

READ MORE: Trains between Ealing Broadway and Reading cancelled

Her family called 999 at 10.20pm on January 3 and that call was triaged at category three, meaning that an ambulance was expected to be on scene within 120 minutes.

However, an ambulance did not arrive and Ms Dear died from a pulmonary embolism due to underlying deep vein thrombosis.

Now, area coroner Hannah Godfrey has written a Report to Prevent Future Deaths which she has sent to the Department of Health and Social Care at NHS England expressing her concerns.

During the inquest, it was heard that there were 48 patients awaiting ambulances.

Seven of those were waiting for category two ambulances with the longest wait time being one hour 12 minutes.

READ MORE: UK braces for 'disruptive snow' as up to 20cm could fall in parts of the country

A total of 19 patients were waiting for category three ambulances with the longest wait time being seven hours and 55 minutes.    

Ms Dear’s symptoms deteriorated and a second 999 call made at 2.32am on January 4 was triaged at category two, meaning that an ambulance was expected to be on scene within 40 minutes.

At that time the area was in OPEL 4, the highest OPEL level, indicating Extreme Pressure on resources.

At this time, there were 37 patients waiting for ambulances. Nine patients were awaiting category two ambulances with the longest wait being five hours 53 minutes, and 26 patients were awaiting category three ambulances, with the longest waiting time being 14 hours 39 minutes.    

At about 5am, Ms Dear’s family decided they could wait no longer and drove her to the hospital, where she was recognised as deceased shortly after arrival at 6.02am.

READ MORE: In the Dock: The latest cases from Reading Magistrates' Court

Ms Godrey ruled that she did not find that the ambulance delay contributed to her death but still expressed concerns about the ‘chronic situation’ impacting South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS).

She wrote: “[It was] reflective of a picture of a chronic situation whereby there was a continuing risk that demand for emergency ambulances would outstrip resources and SCAS were unable to reassure me this was a situation that had been resolved.”

Concerns were also expressed about resources ‘being wasted’ due to the ‘ignorance of some members of the public’.