Antrim A&E crisis: Warning after warning listed in the 10 weeks leading up to weekend fiasco

Below are all the warnings issued by under-pressure officials over the state of Antrim A&E since the end of summer alone:

November 7: The Northern Trust warned of "extreme pressure" at Antrim, saying "if your condition is not urgent or life-threatening be prepared to face a long wait to be seen".

Near-identical messages were issued on October 30, October 25, October 23, and October 18.

On October 10, the trust said the A&E was at "full capacity", and said: "Please do not attend unless your condition is urgent or life threatening."

On October 2, 3 and 4, the hospital said: "Extreme pressure ... urgent or life-threatening" cases only.

August 30: A&E says it is "at full capacity," with 93 patients, and 72 waiting for a bed – "urgent/life-threatening" cases only.

This amounts to 10 warnings in the roughly 10 weeks since the end of summer.

It should be noted that some of the above messages issued by the Northern Health Trust also applied to Causeway hospital too, which has likewise been under extreme pressure.

Back in mid-February, Antrim Area Hospital had declared a "potential major incident".

At that time, over 60 people needed beds that were not available in wards at the hospital, and medics warned that they may have to shut the A&E to new arrivals if the pressure worsened.

Here are the details which are known so far about the crisis at the weekend in Antrim:

Antrim A&E crisis: Patients urged 'take first care package you are given and go home' as medics struggle to free up hospital beds