A grandfather who was kept waiting for more than five hours in an A&E waiting room with chest pain died in his chair from a cardiac arrest, an inquest heard.

William Phillips was rushed to Wrexham Maelor Hospital in September 2020 by his wife, Brenda, after giving up waiting for an ambulance. She was forced to leave him alone because of the pandemic restrictions in place and he was escorted to a chair in the waiting room. CCTV showed Mr Phillips in pain while waiting from around 9pm, and at 1.38am stopped moving until a patient finally noticed he was unresponsive.

Mrs Phillips told the inquest in Ruthin, Wales: “I felt he was in the best place and he would be looked after. I was in complete and utter shock. We said goodbye. Unbeknown to me, this was the last time I saw him alive.

“Bill worked hard all his life providing for his family, never asking or expecting anything from anyone, and had nothing but praise and appreciation for the NHS. He was grateful for all they had done for him over the years. He was a quiet man, who didn't like to make a fuss. “He would sit patiently and wait his turn, as evidenced by the events of that day and night in the emergency department. The events of that day and night will haunt and stay with us for the rest of our lives.”