BBC News NI has revealed that two elderly patients have been in the emergency department of the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) in Belfast for over five days, as more than 500 patients were unable to be discharged from the hospital on Sunday night, despite being medically fit. Since there are no suitable care options in the community, this means they remain in beds that prevent other sick people from being admitted to hospital wards. On Sunday, more than 400 people who attended Northern Ireland’s emergency departments were told they would have at least a 12-hour wait for a hospital bed.
At the RVH on Monday, BBC News NI heard that staff were “treating the most vulnerable elderly sick patients in an intolerable environment,” with one person with the flu being treated in an unused tea room. With the current cold snap and flu figures yet to peak in Northern Ireland, the health service is bracing itself for a challenging week. This is mostly due to the severe shortage of hospital beds and a significant backlog of patients.
Acute medical consultant Dr Ian Carl explained that hospital flow was a significant issue, and currently, acute sites are inferably at capacity of 140%, and most days, they run at 120% capacity. He added that patients’ need for care packages that are not available in the community was creating obstacles for those waiting in emergency departments. The vice-chair of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in Northern Ireland believes it is “impossible to manage” the number of patients arriving at emergency departments.
Stormont’s health committee convenes an emergency meeting on Tuesday, with Health Minister Mike Nesbitt present to provide an update on emergency department waiting times. The public is advised to be cautious due to the freezing conditions that will put the health system under further pressure. Both vaccines and protective equipment are vital to minimising the spread of infection.
The Department of Health claims that longer-term solutions require sustained investment and reform. Demand for care currently exceeds what the Northern Ireland health service can provide, and the health minister has held discussions with both the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, expressing concerns about the impact of immense pressures on staff and patients. However, the phrases ‘sustained investment’ and ‘reform’ do not quite explain the urgent workforce and funding needs to address immediate pressures or the immense backlog of patients needing treatment
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