Clarice Burgin suffered a stroke the day after being admitted to hospital

Stephen Brown, 41, was on holiday in Benidorm when he was told his 86-year-old mother Clarice Burgin had suspected pneumonia.

He rang relatives on the day he flew home to be told Mrs Burgin's GP had called an ambulance, which was expected to arrive within 15 minutes.

It finally turned up at her home in Ripley, Derbyshire, more than eight hours later - by which time Mr Brown had managed to return from Spain.

'Suffered stroke'

He got to Derby City General Hospital 45 minutes before his mother arrived.

Mrs Burgin, a mother-of-nine, suffered a stroke the next day and died later on 6 September.

Mr Brown said: "I am just angry. My whole family are disgusted.

"My family rang on numerous occasions to ask where the ambulance was, to be told it was on its way.

Formal complaint

"The next morning she suffered a stroke. The stress may have been a factor - we just don't know.

"We just don't want it to happen to anybody else."

Mr Brown said he would be making a formal complaint about East Midlands Ambulance Service to the Independent Complaints Advisory Commission, but would not bring any legal proceedings.

He said: "If we take legal action it is going to take money away from the NHS."

Ambulance service spokesman Phil Morris said an investigation was under way but the family had not yet responded to his calls to get in touch.