“EXTREME pressure” on the health service has forced a patient to wait 19 hours in an ambulance outside one of Northern Ireland’s emergency departments.
Dr Nigel Ruddell, the medical director of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), said that ambulance crews are currently facing long delays before handing over patients to hospitals because of a “lack of flow” in the system.
Informed of the long wait on Monday morning, he said increased levels of respiratory illnesses and problems in discharging patients had increased the pressure.
“Our crews are effectively stuck outside,” he told BBC NI
“There is no doubt we are facing a period of really sustained extreme pressure primarily due to large numbers of patients presenting with respiratory illness particularly affecting all hospital sites over the past week.
“This coupled with challenges discharging patients back home or to the community effectively causes stagnation.
“It is causing very significant delays in being able to hand over our patients when we arrive to emergency departments.”
The ambulance service has not commented further on the specific patient, but said they were “experiencing severe challenges” because of pressures across the system.
Dr Michael Perry, vice chair of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, also said that 19 hour waits were “completely unacceptable.”
“The sad fact is this is not uncommon, it’s our opinion it is becoming more common,” he said.
The health and social care system continues to experience severe pressure on services.
— Department of Health (@healthdpt) December 29, 2024
The Department, on behalf of the HSC, apologises to all patients who are waiting longer than they should and thanks patients and families for their continuing co-operation.… pic.twitter.com/x65AxNqLeQ
Department of Health figures show that in the 24 hours from midnight on Saturday to midnight on Sunday, 1,258 people attended emergency departments which included 954 waiting to be seen and 462 queuing for a bed.
The Southern Trust was the busiest area, with over 332 people attending emergency departments and 105 waiting for a bed.
On Sunday, the Department of Health said the system was working “extremely hard” to care for patients.
Urging patience from the public, the statement read: “The Department, on behalf of the health and social care system, apologises to all patients who are waiting longer than they should and thanks patients and families for their continuing co-operation.”
An appeal was also made to use services appropriately, get vaccines if eligible, cooperating with hospital discharge processes and do everything possible to remain healthy.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt commented: “I am assured that everything that can be done by the HSC system in the current situation is being done.
“Longer term solutions require both investment and reform to increase capacity and ensure services can better meet the needs of our community.”
