Members of a Telford parish council have unanimously declared no confidence in Shropshire’s hospital boss Tom Taylor after a dying 80-year-old woman was left for seven hours before seeing a doctor.

Councillors described the five nurses who lifted the lid on staff shortages at the Princess Royal Hospital to Mr Michael Gwynne, Telford & Wrekin coroner, as “heroic”.

The issue was raised by Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council at its meeting yesterday, after the death of Kathleen Mobbs, of Dawley, in November.

After being sent to hospital as an emergency by her GP, she died there from previously undiagnosed cancer after a seven-hour wait to see a doctor.

Mr Gwynne said although Mrs Mobbs would have died anyway, he would write to Mr Taylor, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust boss, expressing concern at the “unacceptable pressure” on accident and emergency staff.

This was echoed by parish council chairman Councillor Pat Smart yesterday, who said: “The nurses’ actions were nothing short of heroic.”

Councillor Richard Dickens said: “Mr Taylor should consider his position.”

The nine councillors present voted unanimously to declare no confidence in Mr Taylor.

Professor Margaret Bamford, hospital trust chairman, said today: “I would have been delighted if the council had been in touch before this meeting as Mr Taylor or I would have been able to discuss the many improvements under way . . . in our hospitals.”