A 100-year-old woman who died in hospital eight days after being denied an ambulance, refused to be taken in – the London Ambulance Service has claimed.

However, the family of Elsie Rowe from Walthamstow have disputed that no matter how she said she felt, she should have been taken.

On January 4, 76-year-old Alan Rowe called 999 after watching the health of his elderly mother, Elsie, deteriorate.

She had stopped eating and could no longer lift her own weight.

Mr Rowe of St John’s Road went and bought her baby food and called social services four days later, who called a second ambulance.

The second ambulance did take her, but she died of bronchopneumonia on January 12.

Mr Rowe believes she would still be alive had the first ambulance taken her in.

Over the last few weeks, A&E staff across the UK have struggled with an unprecedented spike in admissions, with ambulances turned away, extra doctors drafted in and staff working overtime.

Whipps Cross Hospital has experienced problems with a spike in the number of elderly patients seeking medical attention.

A spokesman for the London Ambulance Service said the crew had to take in the view of the patient.

He said: “We would like to offer our sincere condolences to Mr Rowe.

“We were called at 9.50am on Sunday 4 January to reports of a woman unwell at an address on St Johns Road.

“We sent an ambulance crew to the scene.

“We checked over a woman and she did not want to be taken to hospital. She was left in the care of her family and social services.

“We were called to the same address on Thursday 8 January and a woman was taken to Whipps Cross hospital.”