A&E waiting times are catastrophic, NI doctors say

Waiting times in emergency departments show emergency care is in a catastrophic crisis, doctors have said.

The latest figures show number of patients who had to wait more than 12 hours in Northern Ireland's emergency departments has risen by 25% between March 2022 and March 2023.

The government's target for emergency care is that no patient should wait longer than 12 hours.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has called for political leadership.

"The lack of functioning government means there is a lack of meaningful action to tackle it. Patient safety is at high-risk and patients across NI are actively coming to harm," said its vice-president Dr Russell McLaughlin.

The college described staff as being exhausted and burnt out.

Dr McLaughlin said cross party-political leadership was required to engage with the crisis and to ensure there was a functioning emergency care system and wider health and social care service.

Thursday's figures from the Department of Health show that last month 10,243 people waited for more than 12 hours.

In the same month in 2022 that figure was 8,195.

The total number of people going to emergency departments rose to 65,975 in March 2023 - a 4.5% increase on the year before.

More than 12,750 people used PhoneFirst or an urgent care centre without going on to attend an emergency department.

Craigavon Area Hospital in County Armagh reported the longest average time spent in emergency department from arrival to admission of 19 hours and 13 minutes.

The Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children reported the shortest average time of five hours and 54 minutes.