Coroner probes ambulance delay as man's family grieves

A coroner is investigating a man's death while he waited hours for an ambulance, as his grieving family comes to terms with revelations about the tragic delay.

Paramedics found Nick Bradford, 51, dead inside his Annerley home in Brisbane's south after midnight last Sunday.

The civil draftsman had called triple zero more than two hours earlier complaining of chest pains.

He lived a short distance from Princess Alexandra Hospital, prompting Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) to ask if he could transport himself. He declined, citing his condition.

"He did what he should have, and it still didn't make any difference ... that's the part that really upsets me," Nick's brother, Daniel Bradford, told AAP.

Nick wasn't taking any medication, and didn't have any diagnosed health conditions before his death, Daniel said.

The family's grief was compounded after they were initially told an ambulance arrived at Nick's home within minutes of him calling emergency services.

"I thought that it was a really sudden, catastrophic event where he didn't suffer," Daniel said.

"But now it's just upsetting ... knowing that there's a possibility that he was in fear and desperate for help, and there was no one coming."

Health Minister Tim Nicholls on Friday issued a public apology to the Bradford family, confirming they found out about delays to Nick's care through news reports on Thursday.

Mr Nicholls said he was first notified of the man's death on Monday but did not have any family contact details.

''I'm just more interested in them actually trying to remedy what the issues are."

Delays in the state's ambulance services are causing concerns in the community.

According to the latest figures from Queensland health, ambulance ramping sits at 42 per cent, meaning 42 per cent of patients who arrive at hospital by ambulance are waiting on a stretcher for more than 30 minutes.