Hospital pressures: Altnagelvin consultant says 'patients everywhere'

Emergency departments are experiencing extreme pressure in Northern Ireland

An emergency department consultant has appealed to the public to help his staff as they are "struggling" with "patients everywhere".

In a video tweeted by the Western Trust, Dr Sandy Nelson said there were 110 people waiting to be seen.

There were also 45 patients waiting to be admitted, with four ambulances backed up outside waiting to offload patients.

Dr Nelson asked people to use the phone first system.

He also appealed for loved ones waiting to be discharged to be picked up.

The Northern Trust also issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon to say that emergency departments at Antrim Area and Causeway hospitals had been under "extreme pressure" for several days.

It said Monday saw the highest ever number of attendances in Antrim emergency department with 349 over a 24-hour period.

At 15:00 BST the trust said 111 patients were in Antrim emergency department and 70 in Causeway.

"In Antrim hospital 44 patients are currently waiting for a bed and 24 patients in Causeway require admission," the trust added.

"The patient waiting longest for a bed has been nursed in the emergency department for over two days.

"We also have significant numbers of patients who no longer need consultant-led care in an acute hospital but who require ongoing support in the community and we would once again ask patients and families and/or carers to please assist us at the point of discharge by accepting the first placement that becomes available."

The Belfast Trust has said that 134 people were in the emergency department at the Royal Victoria Hospital at one stage in the afternoon.

"The sickest are being seen first, those presenting with non-urgent conditions will be waiting considerably longer," a spokesperson said.

"There is a mix of ages for those currently in the department. 52 people are waiting for a bed, with the longest wait for a bed being 64 hours."

There are 43 children in the children's department, with the longest wait being five hours.

In the South Eastern Trust, the Ulster Hospital's emergency department is experiencing similar pressure.

One patient had been waiting 39 hours to be admitted.

A spokesperson for the health trust said those who are there require medical assistance for conditions including asthma, stroke and heart problems.

BBC NI understands that part of the problem in the Western Trust is Altnagelvin also not being able to discharge patients from hospital into the community.

That means new patients cannot be admitted as beds are occupied by people who while are fit to go home have no suitable place at home or in the community.

The knock-on effect is that people cannot get processed through the emergency department into a suitable hospital ward.

A spokesperson said there were no free cubicles in the emergency department which meant patients who had been taken off ambulances were in trolleys in the corridor.

The longest wait for one patient to be admitted is 44 hours.