NI Health: Patients spending over a week in emergency departments
Hundreds stuck in hospitals across NI
The DoH target is for 95% of patients to be treated, discharged or admitted within four hours and no patient to wait longer than 12 hours.Dr Corrigan, who is an emergency medicine consultant, has called on the department to spend its money more effectively.A Freedom of Information request from BBC News NI revealed that every health trust in Northern Ireland experienced patient waits of about week or more.The Northern Health Trust said a wait of more than 10 days for a patient in Antrim Area Hospital was because they needed to be isolated in a side room for other people's safety."If there's space, it's taken up by somebody," said Dr Corrigan.She added that patients who might be vomiting or suffering from diarrhoea were queuing for the one toilet available in a unit."It's a soul-destroying work environment. You can't give the care you want to give," she said."You certainly aren't giving the care you're trained to give. It's not the care you'd want your family to receive."There are currently hundreds of people stuck in hospitals across Northern Ireland who are medically fit to be discharged but do not have a care package or an appropriate facility to go to.The BMA said this increases pressure in EDs because people are not moving through the hospital system.
The BBC requested data from all five health trusts under Freedom of Information, including that relating to the height of the winter pressures over Christmas and New Year.They reflect the immense pressure healthcare staff were under at the time, with one nursing leader describing conditions as "intolerable".Between 12 December 2024 and 20 January this year, 140 patients had to wait in crowded EDs for more than 100 hours.At Altnagelvin Area Hospital, one person spent a week in its ED. The hospital recorded the highest number of patients waiting the longest times, with 48 people waiting for more than 100 hours.
Dr Corrigan said the BMA was calling for greater investment in the health service and multi-year budgets."The money that exists needs to be used better. There's been an awful lot of investment in a lot of new initiatives... and while we welcome some of those initiatives, we're not seeing the pressures easing from them," she said."It might be better investing in the services that are already here and shaping them better."In a statement, the Department of Health said Health Minister Mike Nesbitt was "acutely aware of the pressures within emergency departments"."The department also recognises the risk of possible harm to patients who experience long waiting times in ED and is working with trusts to improve patient flow through urgent and emergency care," it added.There were still major waits for patients in EDs this week, with patients at Craigavon Area Hospital waiting an average of 15 hours to be seen on Monday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
a day ago
- ITV News
Nottingham City Hospital's striking doctor can be 'called off' picket line to treat sick babies
A striking doctor will be called off the picket line to treat sick babies at Nottingham City Hospital, after an agreement was reached with the union. The British Medical Association (BMA) has agreed an exemption with the hospital regarding the neonatal intensive care unit. A five-day walkout by resident doctors, formerly junior doctors, in England began on Friday, with members of the BMA at picket lines across the country. The BMA has argued that real-terms pay has fallen by around 20% since 2008, and is pushing for full 'pay restoration'. The union took out national newspaper adverts on Friday, saying it wanted to 'make clear that while a newly qualified doctor's assistant is taking home over £24 per hour, a newly qualified doctor with years of medical school experience is on just £18.62 per hour'. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has condemned the walkout, branding it "reckless" and "irresponsible", and said the government would not allow the BMA to 'hold the country to ransom'. He insisted the government is doing everything it can to minimise patient harm as thousands of doctors go on strike over pay. Following concerns over the safety and care of very sick babies in Nottingham City Hospital, an agreement has been reached allowing a resident doctor to leave the picket if they are called. In a statement on social media, the BMA said: "We have agreed a derogation at City Hospital, Nottingham for one resident doctor to support NICU on Saturday and Sunday. "If contacted we advise resident doctors to return to work. Thank you for your support for taking industrial action." ITV News Central has approached Nottingham University Hospitals Trust for a response. The trust is currently at the centre of the largest maternity inquiry in the history of the NHS, with over 2,500 cases of neonatal deaths being examined by senior midwife Donna Ockenden. It's also being investigated by Nottinghamshire Police for potential offences of corporate manslaughter, following the deaths and serious injuries related to maternity care. Following the announcement of a criminal investigation, Nick Carver, Chair at NUH and Anthony May, Chief Executive, put out a joint statement. It said: "It is absolutely right that we take organisational accountability where we have failed women, families and babies. "We are deeply sorry for the pain and suffering caused. We know that for many families this harm and suffering will be lifelong. "Since joining the Board, we have emphasised the importance of openness, transparency and accountability in our leadership and decision-making. We recognise that there is more to do. "We are fully committed to the ongoing police investigation and the Independent Review of Maternity Services, led by Donna Ockenden. "We would like to reassure the public that we are determined to improve our maternity services. 'We know how important the police investigation and independent review are for the affected families, the Trust and our local communities. We hope that affected families receive the answers that they deserve.'
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Number of people waiting on trolleys in emergency department down by 10%
There was a 10 per cent reduction in the number of people waiting on trolleys in emergency departments last year, according to the latest HSE annual report. Over 108,000 people were recorded on trolleys in emergency departments last year, according to HSE figures, which represents a reduction. Advertisement The fall was recorded amid an 8 per cent increase in people attending and a rise of 7 per cent in admissions to emergency departments. HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster said one of the most 'challenging' aspects for the HSE was wait times for healthcare, and said tackling 'unacceptably long' waits in emergency departments was an area of focus. The HSE annual report for 2024 analyses the health service's performance and health trends among Irish people. It outlined a 4.6 [er cent improvement in the number of outpatients seen within 10 weeks and a 5.5 per cent increase in the number of inpatients and day case patients seen within 12 weeks. Advertisement 'Addressing waiting lists for scheduled care and unacceptably long waits in emergency departments (EDs) remains a priority focus area, especially for older people and those with complex needs,' Mr Gloster said in the foreword. 'My plan for 2025 is to continue to bring trolley numbers down and to improve how our health and social care system works across seven days to allow consistent access to care.' Requests for assessments of need for children spiked by 26 per cent last year compared to a year previous, and were 33 per cent above expected demand in 2024 There were 8,400 such requests in 2023 and more than 10,600 in 2024, in figures which had previously been shared by Children's Minister Norma Foley in the Dáil. Advertisement Although there was a slight uptake on the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine compared to the previous year, the 89.9 per cent figure was below the target for 2024. The chairman of the HSE's board, Ciaran Devane, said in an introductory statement to the report that Ireland's population is ageing 'faster than that of any other country in the EU'. Since 2015, the number of people aged 65 years and over has increased by 37 per cent. Although life expectancy in Ireland, at 82.6 years, is ahead of the EU average, the burden of cancer is higher and accounts for a quarter of all deaths of those aged over 65. Advertisement Ireland Organised €14 million 'darknet' crypto crime trial... Read More Mr Gloster, who is to step down from his role in March 2026, said 2024 was a year of 'real progress'. 'We reduced the number of people waiting on trolleys by over 10 per cent, expanded community services and improved access to scheduled care with an additional 24,000 patients seen within target timeframes. 'Our focus in 2025 will be to build on this momentum, improve patient flow and continue to reform how care is delivered across seven days.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Brutal truth about junior doctor strike - and how it will affect YOU: 'There's no way it's business as usual'
Medics working through the doctors' strike say that patients are 'guaranteed' to suffer cancelled appointments and treatment delays—despite promises of business as usual from health chiefs. In pursuit of salary hikes worth up to £20,000, resident doctors began their walk out today with patients set to experience 'untold misery', according to the Health Secretary Wes Streeting. The strike could cause 250,000 NHS appointments to be axed or postponed and may cost the NHS £87million in staffing cover, according to think tank the Policy Exchange. Now doctors admit that they are already seeing the impact of their militant colleagues' picket action. Mr Anil Joshi, an ear nose and throat surgeon said: 'It is certainly not business as usual. Staff that are here are being spread thin and there have been cancelled operations and this is likely to be worse at the start of next week. 'It is often the complex surgeries that people have been waiting months for that are cancelled as they require a team of people, so this would be surgeries like knee and hip replacements, or in my department, reconstructive operations.' The surgeon said that the strikes are also leaving him with difficult decisions to make for urgent operations. 'This afternoon I am doing an operation for a cancer patient that would normally require a team of three people, but I am doing it myself,' says Mr Joshi. 'These are urgent cases, so I can not cancel. I am just having to push myself to make sure that the patients are seen.' Speaking to the MailOnline other senior doctors have hit out at resident doctors for striking. 'I think the mood is that everyone was supportive before but there is no support from senior doctors now, if anything they are now rolling their eyes,' says a leading cardiologist. 'So far there have been minor cancellations, but it is putting a lot of extra strain on the doctors that are working.' Up to 50,000 resident doctors – formerly known as junior doctors – began strike action today in pursuit of a further 29 per cent pay rise. The five day walk out began after the BMA's resident doctors committee pulled the plug on negotiations on Tuesday and announced it would plough on with the strike. On the eve of the strikes, Wes Streeting told the Mail he would not cave in to their 'unreasonable' demands, adding: 'I'm not going to let the BMA hold this country to ransom.' Mr Streeting has refused to budge on pay but has offered a number of other financial concessions relating to the cost of exams, equipment and training. The Health Secretary described it as 'unprecedented' for a union to lead its members to the picket line after receiving inflation-busting pay rises totalling 28.9 per cent over three years. Mr Streeting said the BMA owes an 'apology' to patients who are left in pain and agony for longer as a result of appointments being cancelled and said they seem to have 'lost sight' of their responsibility to 'Do No Harm'. NHS England said hospitals and local teams have been preparing before the strike and have plans in place to 'minimise disruption to patient care and ensure life-saving care continues.' The last round of strikes by resident doctors 60,000 appointments were rescheduled across the country. Doctors have warned that this will further add to the backlog of planned procedures. Dr Chris Streather, medical director for NHS London, hospitals had 'quite a lot of practice' with managing care during industrial action. 'We will do as much as we can,' he said. 'But some things will get cancelled inevitably.' He added: 'The more worrying thing this time around is the cumulative effect of repeated cancellations of planned care. 'Since 2022 when this all started, we've cancelled nearly 1.5m planned appointments, and every time this happens, we lose about another 60,000. 'Although we make emergency care safe, we can't really deal with that backlog in planned care.'
