On the day that The Guardian reports record numbers leaving ED in England without treatment, here BBC News NI has reported that patients at the Emergency Department at Craigavon Area Hospital were facing average waits of almost 19 hours this morning.
It is further reported that Emergency Department waiting times at The Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and The Ulster Hospital in Dundonald were approximately nine hours.
Delays have been experienced across the entire HSC system including the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. Whilst the Ambulance Service has acknowledged the impact of these delays on patients and their families and significant work has been undertaken to reduce handover delays, “the system continues to operate under very high pressure.”
This is again hugely concerning news for both patients and healthcare professionals particularly given the additional and annual strain on the health service over the winter period. Moreover, time is often of the essence in relation to treatment of acutely unwell patients and delays in receiving treatment such as those reported today can have very serious adverse consequences. As we have noted before, it is vital that The Department of Health invest in longer-term and sustainable solutions to this chronic issue.
To view the full BBC NI article, click here: