pick up a dying grandmother, and promised to improve their 911 system.

Family members, who had to take 84-year-old Mrs. Eva Stovell to hospital by car, said they had accepted apologies from officials and the ambulance driver involved.

Mr. Hume Martin, executive director of the hospitals board, said the driver is still in his job. And although the driver had been disciplined, he would not reveal what the punishment was.

The incident was one of "poor judgment'', he said. The board accepted full responsibility for the "inadequate response'' that followed when a nurse at Matilda Smith Wil liams rest home called for an ambulance for Mrs. Stovell.

Mr. Martin thanked them for coming forward, saying the hospital needs to know about patients' problems.

Mrs. Stovell's grandson Mr. Richie Lathan said they had an "very emotional'' meeting with the driver.

"A sincere apology has been offered -- we accept.'' But, he said: "For some of us the emotional scars of this incident are slow to heal. It will take time and some work before we are satisfied personally.'' The rest home nurse and family members had said they were told by an ambulance attendant to keep monitoring Mrs. Stovell because he did not waste time on unnecessary trips.

Mrs. Stovell was suffering from pneumonia. She died 18 hours after arriving in hospital.

The family say she got the best possible medical treatment, and have not alleged her late arrival affected her well-being.

Mr. Martin said within a month the hospital will get a $5,000 system to tape all ambulance calls.

Calls would be periodically monitored to ensure a timely response, and nursing home requests would be treated the same as others.

Responses to calls arriving simultaneously would depend on urgency, regardless of the patients' age or the origin of the request.

Mr. Martin added: "It appears there was a misunderstanding of the nature of the call and miscomprehension of the need to send an ambulance immediately.

"He thought he was hearing about a problem that was ongoing. There had been an ongoing problem.

"He didn't understand the immediate need that the patient was experiencing.

"There was another call at the time the first call came in, but that is no excuse.'' He said the family wanted it pointed out that the first call, from the rest home, was not a 911 call. The family's call, later, was a 911 request.

Mr. Martin said the incident, in the early hours of May 15, was the first of its kind brought to his attention. "The ambulance service provided from the emergency department and by the emergency medical technicians (drivers) is first-rate for a community this size.''