‘Frightening’ queues outside NI hospitals over weekend amid record high ICU coronavirus numbers

This comes amid record numbers of people in intensive care with coronavirus in Northern Ireland, according to the latest figures from the Stormont health department.

There are now 53 people in intensive care with the virus, 34 of whom are breathing through the use of ventilators.

Multiple ambulances were pictured backed up outside Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry on Friday in scenes reminiscent of the situation outside Antrim Area Hospital last month, where at one point there were 17 ambulances queued outside as patients were forced to wait for treatment.

SDLP MLA Justin McNulty, who shared a video on social media showing the chaotic scenes outside Daisy Hill, said there was a similar situation at Craigavon Area Hospital.

“It’s frightening – for both the staff and patients,” Mr McNulty added.

“The staff are exhausted and emotionally drained as well so my thoughts go out to them. The message has to go out to all of us that we need to be ultra cautious as we face the last phase of the pandemic, even more so than we have been at any stage throughout.

“I think with all the news of the vaccines some people might have thought we were in the clear. The way I’ve heard it described, very powerfully, is that it’s like the last month of a war. You can still get shot in the last month of a war if you aren’t as careful as you could have been, because you’re too relaxed. We all need to be ultra cautious and give it one last big push to get through.”

The Newry and Armagh MLA added: “I get the sense that the health minister (Robin Swann) is doing everything that he can do, but our health service has been stripped down for many years.

“It’s been stripped down for over a decade now and this could be the consequences of the hollowing out of our health service by consecutive Executives. It’s now coming home to roost in this surge situation. I don’t know what more can be done in the immediate time to address the challenges that our health service face.”

A spokesperson for the ambulance service said: “The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service is currently experiencing a high level of demand responding to 999 calls within the community. All ambulance resources are constantly either dealing with patients, en route to hospital or waiting at emergency departments to transfer patients to the care of ED staff.”

Over 2,500 people tested positive for coronavirus over the weekend in Northern Ireland – 1,443 on Saturday and 1,112 on Sunday – according to the latest figures from the Stormont health department.

Another 26 coronavirus deaths have also been reported – nine on Saturday and 17 on Sunday – taking the Department of Health’s running fatalities total to 1,460.

The pressures faced by hospitals are also reflected in the figures, with 703 inpatients with coronavirus recorded at 10am on Sunday and a record 53 in intensive care. The figures also show that 96% of all hospital beds are occupied.