PEOPLE have been urged to only visit the A&E department at the Ulster Hospital if they are in need of emergency treatment.
As winter pressures hit emergency departments across Northern Ireland, the South Eastern Health Trust has again appealed for people in need of medical help to consider alternative sources of treatment.
At midday on Tuesday, 185 people were waiting to be treated at the Ulster Hospital’s Emergency Department, with 76 people waiting over 12 hours to be seen and 63 waiting for admission to a hospital bed.
Addressing the current waiting times, a South Eastern Trust spokeswoman said how staff in the Emergency Department treated patients ‘according to clinical priority’, meaning that some people may have to wait longer to be treated.
With respiratory illnesses on the rise across Northern Ireland, the spokeswoman also asked attendees to consider wearing a mask when attending the Emergency Department to protect themselves, as well as others.
It is also advised to attend the department alone where possible, or if necessary, with only one other person, to help minimise the spread of infection.
“The most important message we can give is that our Emergency Department treats and cares for people with a serious injury or life-threatening condition. If you or someone near you has a life-threatening medical emergency, call 999 immediately or go to your nearest Emergency Department,” the spokeswoman said.
“If you are not in need of emergency treatment, please consider alternatives by attending your local pharmacy, Minor Injury Unit, GP or GP Out of Hours.”
They continued: “Teams across the hospital and community are working together to ensure that every effort is being made to discharge patients who no longer need an acute hospital bed, transferring patients to wards across the Trust and admitting patients to the Emergency Department as soon as possible.
“To help alleviate pressures within our Emergency Department, we would appeal for patients to leave hospital when they are deemed medically fit. If patients are deemed medically fit to leave hospital and are waiting on a care home placement or package of care, Trust staff will provide an alternative suitable placement until the patient’s first choice becomes available.
“The Trust continues to work alongside regional colleagues and the NI Ambulance Service to ensure all actions are in place to support safe, timely care of our patients despite the extremely challenging circumstances in which we are working.
“Our staff remain dedicated and committed to continue to work tirelessly to protect and care for our community.”
