Latest data indicate that emergency departments (EDs) across Northern Ireland are continuing to reel under tremendous pressure. The Department of Health (DoH) recently published the 'Emergency Care Waiting Times statistics (January - March 2019)'.
During the first quarter of 2019, there were 204,170 attendances at the EDs. This translates to a 6.2 per cent rise compared with the first quarter of 2018. A 13 per cent rise in ED attendances was observed in individuals aged ≥95 years.
The Health and Social Care (HSC) system is constantly striving to cope with the increasing ED pressures and to identify areas of improvements. In line with the HSC's transformation programme 'Delivering Together', the DoH is planning a review of urgent and emergency care in Northern Ireland. The review will address the optimal way of tackling the needs of a growing elderly population. A health service summit on this review will be conducted in June followed by a public consultation on a proposed new model of care.