Stormont is being urged to make addressing the issues facing the urgent and emergency care system in Northern Ireland its priority as patients and staff bear the brunt.
The call from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine comes as new data revealed 2024 saw the country’s worst year, quarter and month ever recorded for A&E performance.
Analysis released by the Department of Health shows that more people than ever before had to endure a wait of 12 hours or more in one of the country’s A&Es in 2024 despite fewer people attending.
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There was a 7.6% increase in hospital attendances over a 12-month period, with 63,347 attendees in December 2024 compared to 58,875 in December 2023. When analysing the full year, the data shows 2024 was the worst year on record for A&E performance; the months October to December were the worst quarter on record; and December was the worst month.
The quarterly data which covers 1 October 2024 to 31 December 2024 also showed:
Almost 1 out of every 4 people (22.9%) waited 12 hours or more in December. Between October and December only one in three patients (33.8%) were seen within the target of four hours – 6.5% fewer than the same period in 2023. In December, only 31.9% of people were seen within the target of four hours, the worst month on record.The figures showed that the number attendees waiting more than 12 hours in December was 12,281, an increase from 10,597 in December 2023.
During December, Causeway Hospital reported the longest median time spent in ED from arrival to admission (22 hours 47 minutes), whilst the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children reported the shortest time (6 hours 47 minutes).
Emergency Departments across Northern Ireland faced a gruelling winter, impacted by admissions from flu and other respiratory infections, with hundreds of people across the country waiting for a hospital bed on one day in December.
With no sign of the additional demand caused by seasonal viruses abating there is no respite, according to the RCEM.
Dr Russell McLaughlin, Vice President for RCEM Northern Ireland said the data couldn’t present a clearer picture: “The situation is deteriorating. My colleagues and I have pushed through yet another hugely challenging winter as we have had to deal with a surge in seasonal viruses.
“However, we cannot let this annual spike be blamed as the sole cause of the issues we are seeing in our EDs. The challenges are perennial, and they are putting our patients at risk and pushing clinicians to breaking point.”
Dr McLaughlin added: “No one wants to be in a situation where almost a quarter of our patients can expect to face a 12 hour wait. We know that long waits are unsafe and undignified for our patients – we simply should not tolerate this any longer. The government must act and make addressing this worsening crisis in our Emergency Departments its priority.”
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