Health leaders ‘deeply distressed’ at pressures facing hospitals in Northern Ireland

As they outlined a series of measures to alleviate difficulties, the chief executives of health trusts in the region said the situation was expected to intensify over Christmas and into 2023.

In their joint statement, the health trust chief executives said: "As members of this community as well as health and social care service leaders, we are deeply distressed at the ongoing situation in our hospitals.

"Although strenuous efforts are being made to alleviate the pressures, we have a serious capacity deficit which means too many people are waiting too long for care.

"Much of the impact of this is falling on frail and ill, older people, and on the staff caring for them.

"Pressures on services are expected to intensify further after Christmas and into the early months of 2023.

"The case for long-term investment and reform to effectively build capacity has been well made.

"Right now, however, we have to use whatever levers are available to us to reduce delays and prioritise patient safety."

The statement said a number of measures had been agreed:

- Patients will leave hospital no later than 48 hours after confirmation they are medically fit for discharge and where a suitable placement which can meet their needs is available. There will be no cost to the patient or their family for this alternative interim placement and it will not impact on their place on any waiting list for their longer-term option;

- A maximum limit of three hours for ambulance handover will apply at all emergency departments;

- Maximum use will be made of available space in wards and throughout hospitals, to improve patient flow out of overcrowded emergency departments. This will also include, where appropriate, use of chairs rather than beds for patients medically fit to leave hospitals.

The statement added: "These are not steps that we ever wanted or, indeed, imagined having to introduce.

"They are not designed as a long-term solution, but as actions to reduce the risk to patients waiting in unacceptable circumstances in ambulances and EDs."

Nurses from the RCN in Northern Ireland will take part in further strike action on Tuesday.