Emergency Department Forced to Close to New Admissions Due to Service Pressure

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A Major incident was declared in A&E on Saturday evening

By David Young (PA)

An emergency department in Northern Ireland was forced to temporarily close its doors to new admissions due to pressures on services.

A major incident was declared at Antrim Area Hospital on Saturday night when a “disproportionately high” number of critically ill patients arrived in quick succession.

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust said the move to close the emergency department to new admissions was regrettable but the only “safe and appropriate” response in the circumstances.

The incident is the latest to hit Northern Ireland’s under-pressure health service, which is facing significant budget constraints and spiralling waiting lists.

“We have warned for some time that it was inevitable that one or more hospitals could be forced into a situation where they had to close their emergency department for safety reasons due to the number of people in the department, with high numbers needing to be admitted,” the trust said in a statement.

“On Saturday night, Antrim Area Hospital had a disproportionately high number of critically ill patients, a number of whom arrived in quick succession.

“A clinical decision was made by the Senior Emergency Department Consultant that the department could no longer operate safely and could not respond appropriately to any further critically ill patients who might have arrived.

“As such, a Major Incident was declared. Temporary closure of the emergency department allowed the situation to be managed and controlled in a safe manner.

“This was a regrettable position to be in, but in the circumstances it was the only safe and appropriate response.”

The trust said it was continuing to work closely with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and other trusts across the region to co-ordinate a response to the current pressures.

“The Antrim site currently has a high number of very ill patients who require admission into the hospital and therefore our priority today has to be patient discharge,” the statement added.

“We would appeal for the full co-operation of patients, families and carers in assisting us with discharging loved ones who are ready to go home, to help free up much-needed beds and reduce the overall pressure on our service.

“People should definitely attend the emergency department if their condition is urgent or life-threatening.

“Patients will always be seen in order of clinical priority, therefore those who attend with conditions which are not urgent will endure a long wait to be seen.

“We thank the public and our staff for their patience and understanding in these difficult circumstances.”

 

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