68,000 attended Northern Ireland emergency departments in June

Almost 68,000 people attended Northern Irelands emergency departments (EDs) in June, an increase of more than 24% compared to the same month in 2020.

The latest statistics from the Department of Health revealed an extremely busy picture in EDs over the past 12 months.

More than 192,000 people turned up seeking treatment during the first quarter of the year.

That is 37.9% more than during the same quarter last year.

• Big increase in 12-hour waits at hospitals

• Pressures on A&E 'on par with winter levels'

• NI trust sees 182 nurse resignations in six months

'A threat to patient safety'

Dr Paul Kerr from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine for Northern Ireland said the situation posed "a threat to patient safety and staff wellbeing".

"These figures show emergency department patients and staff face a serious situation of deteriorating performance and conditions," he said.

"Severe crowding is occurring in all departments, and it is completely unacceptable that the median average wait for admission is nine hours.

"Covid numbers have not yet stabilised, and admissions are rising again causing serious concern."

In June 2021, almost a fifth (13.7%) of attendances at EDs had been referred by a GP, compared with 16.8% in June 2020.

The figures come as it emerged that more than 180 nurses resigned from Northern Ireland's largest health trust in the first half of this year.

Figures from the Belfast Trust showed 315 nurses left between 1 January and 31 July for various reasons.

Social media appeal for off-duty staff

More than half (182) resigned, while 81 nurses retired and 21 transferred within the health service.

Earlier this month it emerged that the number of patients waiting more than 12 hours in Northern Ireland's emergency departments was more than five times higher in 2020 than it was five years earlier.

Department of Health statistics showed that almost 38,000 - about one in 20 people - waited longer than 12 hours.

Northern Ireland's health trusts have had to put out appeals on social media to off-duty staff to come to work due to hospital pressures at various times throughout the year.