The family of a 89-year-old woman who died in her Dundonald home after waiting almost six hours for an ambulance have told of how she was "failed" by the system.
Kathleen Neagle died on July 8 last year.
The pensioner became ill during the day and her family had called her GP who asked for an ambulance to be sent to her at around 4pm.
However, no ambulance reached Mrs Neagle until just before 10pm.
It was later found that ambulances dispatched to treat the Dundonald woman had been diverted twice to other calls.
The family revealed that the ambulance service had called them at around 6.30pm for an update on the pensioner's condition.
The call handler was told that Mrs Neagle had a rash that would not go away when pressure was placed on it by a glass and that it was spreading.
The family were then told that their mother would be treated as a priority.
However, at 9.30pm, Mrs Neagle's son made a 999 call as his mother had stopped breathing.
CPR was carried out until two police officers arrived at the house to assist.
An ambulance arrived at the house at 10pm after Mrs Neagle had died.
The cause of death was found to be heart failure.
Her daughter Meta Patterson said: "That night I shouted at the ambulance driver when he said he was sorry.
"And that fella just stood there and said: 'There was no one available, I had to come from Ballynahinch.'
"You're talking about 40 minutes away."
Mrs Patterson said the Ulster Hospital was "five minutes away but we couldn't take her because she was so bad".
An investigation into the case found that the ambulance service was under extreme pressure at the time and that there were no A&E vehicles available in the area due to crew shortages and long hospital hand-overs.
Mrs Patterson said: "I was totally disgusted. I just felt they failed my mother.
"My mum should not have died," she told the BBC.
"The ambulance drivers are being put in a position and they get so much abuse. I think the system has failed".
Mrs Patterson said her mother "just loved her family around her" and "nothing held her back".
In a statement, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said: "Such delays are not the service the public expect and deserve, nor one that we seek to provide and we would apologise unreservedly for any such delay.
"We wish to express our sincere condolences to Mrs Neagle's family on their loss. We have engaged directly with family members during the review of the circumstances which led to the delayed response".
