The buddy system did however lead to an "inevitable delay compared to the normal process" as information was transferred from England and Northern Ireland, she told the chamber.

BBC: Democracy Live site links

The health secretary said all 999 calls were answered during the incident and 90% of these calls were handled in Scotland in the usual way, with only 149 calls going to centres in Belfast and the North West of England via a 'buddy system.

BBC: Democracy Live site links

Despite the fact that my Xbox buddy list is constantly filled with friends Netflix-ing rather than gaming, the system lags behind because of the simple fact that Xbox Live continues to be a paid service, while PSN is not.

FORBES: Playstation 3 is the Most Used Device for Netflix Streaming

"It's part of a buddy-system and works both ways, about two years ago we were called on to do the same for them, " he said.

BBC: Communications problem at NI ambulance service resolved