NI health crisis: 'Doctors, ambulance service - they're not to blame'
An 89-year-old woman died at her home after a near six-hour wait for an ambulance, during which paramedics were twice dispatched to her but were diverted to other calls, her family has told BBC News NI.
Kathleen Neagle died on 8 July 2021 in Dundonald, after being ill for a number of days.
Her family said her GP called for an ambulance at about 16:00 BST that day
But none arrived until before 22:00 that evening.
Ambulances dispatched to treat Mrs Neagle were twice diverted to Category One emergency calls.
The initial call for an ambulance was considered a Category Three call and was upgraded to a Category Two later that evening - both are treated less urgently than Category One.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said it deeply regretted any delay in ambulance response.
Mrs Neagle's daughter, Meta Patterson, said she was disgusted at how the system had "failed" her mother but did not blame the ambulance service staff.