MORE than nine months after his daughter died at a Gwent hospital, her heartbroken father is still seeking answers about the way she was treated - and he may still have another month to wait.

Lisa Jane Howells, aged 38, suffered two heart attacks whilst on a trolley at Nevill Hall Hospital's A&E department after being brought in on Sunday April 27 last year, and a third while being placed on life support in the intensive care unit shortly afterwards.

Within days, an internal investigation into his daughter's care had been launched by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, and Graham Howells says that on May 1 he was called into a consultant's office where he received an apology for delays in her treatment.

Mr Howells immediately contacted solicitors Harding Evans, who asked the health board to investigate the matter through the NHS complaints procedure, detailing exactly what happened during her time in hospital.

Ms Howells, a mother-of-two who also had four step-children, had been a Type One diabetic for around 15 years, and in and out of hospital due to her condition.

She became ill and started vomiting on April 26 last year and, having worsened overnight, was taken to Nevill Hall by ambulance the following day and put on a trolley in a corridor.

An initial complaint report sent to the health board states that she was there for around 50 minutes and had two heart attacks, after which she was taken to intensive care, where she was put on kidney dialysis and life support, and suffered a third heart attack.

Mr Howells said the family was told she would have suffered brain damage as a result of these, was unlikely to survive another, and might not regain consciousness. She died on May 15.

A post mortem examination requested by her family revealed pneumonia as the immediate of death, with hypoxic brain injury (caused by a reduction in oxygen supply to the brain) and diabetic ketoacidosis, a dangerous complication of diabetes caused by a lack of insulin, as underlying issues.

Under the complaints procedure, a full written response is expected within 30 days. But in mid-July Mr Howells was told that due to the gravity of the concerns expressed, the matter was being investigated under the board's Serious Incident process and was anticipated to be completed by the end of September.

Towards the end of September however, the board indicated that it was obliged to consider issues relating to liability as part of its investigation, and analysis of these would have to be referred to a Redress Panel for review.

This panel was scheduled for December 11, with a full report to be provided afterwards. Further issues were raised at its meeting however, which the board said required further investigation.

Mr Howells has heard nothing more however, and the Argus has now been told that the report will not be ready for another three-four weeks, more than 10 months after the internal investigation began.

"All they have done, time and time again, is ask for extra time," said Mr Howells, who lives in Usk.

He said his daughter's death had devastated him and many who knew and loved her, including her children Jordan, aged 19, and 17-year-old Jade.

"I think it is disgusting. On May 1 a consultant said sorry to me, that they had to apologise for what happened," he said.

"But apart from the basic facts about her waiting on the trolley, having two heart attacks, and then having another in intensive care, I don't know anymore.

"They started an investigation themselves so they must be worried about how she was treated. As soon as I found out about that and they apologised, I contacted the solicitor.

"I just want to know what happened that shouldn't have, or what didn't happen that should have.

"I don't even know if her death could have been avoided, and nearly a year later I think that's appalling."

A health board spokesman said: “We sincerely apologise for any distress caused to Mr Howells concerning the delay in finalising an investigation report in relation to the death of his daughter at Nevill Hall Hospital in 2014.

"The report is currently being finalised and will be sent to Mr Howells within the next three-four weeks.”

* In the weeks following Ms Howells' death, friends launched a fundraising effort in her memory, to raise funds for the charity Diabetes UK.

These included a three-day music festival whose organiser Patricia Hunt called her friend "a lovely, bubbly person."

Another friend, Rhiannon Jones, called Ms Howells " a very kind and loving person, much loved in the community."