Almost half of all Antrim Area Hospital patients have COVID-19

Today in an interview on BBC with Northern Trust Chief Executive Jennifer Welsh revealed that almost 50% of all patients in the hospital have tested positive for Covid-19.

Speaking on BBC NI’s Sunday Politics programme, she said that as of Sunday morning, 30 patients in Antrim Area Hospital’s emergency department have received a decision to admit.

However, there are no beds to accommodate them - 24 of those patients have been waiting for more than 12 hours.

“At the peak of the first wave in Antrim and Causeway the highest number of Covid positive patients was 73,” she said.

“In November, the highest number was 102 and we peaked on Thursday at 202. We have now dropped below that slightly.”

The chief executive said the hospitals were “coping but at great cost”, with many urgent surgeries cancelled.

“Emergency surgery is being done but we are not being able to do any other in the Antrim Area site.

“We have been able to deliver some red flag cancer surgery at Causeway but we would like to do more.”

Despite these emergency measures already in place, the worst of the current surge is only expected to arrive this week.

She added: “We are not going to get out of this quickly. It’s going to be a challenge for us as a system.

“It’s been building from October.”

“We’re not yet at the peak of intensive care admissions and we expect that this week.

“Antrim has doubled its intensive care beds from seven to 14 in anticipation of the coming surge - 11 are already being used.

“All hospitals have doubled their ICU footprint. There are more than 160 inpatients in Antrim Area Hospital.”

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