Derry's Altnagelvin Hospital 'under severe pressure' due to record numbers of inpatients

As of midday on Wednesday, December 13, there were 112 people in Altnagelvin’s Emergency Department.

59 of these required admission to hospital for further investigations or treatment.

At the same time, in South West Acute Hospital there were 54 people in the Emergency Department, 35 of those patients required admission to the hospital which was already at 117% of its unscheduled bed capacity.

Both acute hospitals have been operating at well above 100% of their unscheduled bed capacity, with all available wards escalated to accommodate additional patients. However, large numbers of patients are still awaiting admission.

The Western Trust said the pressure is being seen across the entire HSC system.

Speaking about the current hospital pressures, Western Trust Medical Director Dr Brendan Lavery said: “There are very high number of patients waiting in our Emergency Departments at Altnagelvin and South West Acute Hospital who are requiring beds for further investigation and treatment.

"This is putting extreme pressure on the hospital system, and means that we are operating at the highest levels of escalation in our hospitals and in our community services which support patient discharge.

“It is very regrettable that we find ourselves in such a difficult position again and we are currently considering if we need to step down some services and redirect staff for a period of time, to ensure that we can manage the increasing pressures in a safe manner.

“Every single member of our staff across our hospital and community settings are yet again rising to the extreme challenges we are facing and we again thank them for their tremendous efforts."

Brendan continued: “Plans have been put in place across the Health and Social Care system to manage increased pressures at this time of year.

"However, as a result of increased demand on top of an already very busy system, the level of complex and serious conditions, particularly amongst the growing frail and elderly population, the prevalence of flu and other respiratory conditions at this time of year, and the challenges of helping patients to return home after a hospital stay.

"We fully understand the upset and inconvenience this causes to patients and their families and apologise to them for it.

“Patients and families should also be aware that due to the ongoing pressure for hospital beds patients may need to be discharged without their full package of care being in place, or discharged to another care facility until the place of their choice is available and we would ask that families work with us and if their relative is deemed medically fit for discharge to arrange for them to leave hospital as soon as possible to free up beds for those who are acutely unwell and need hospital care.

“For anyone attending any of our hospitals or facilities, we ask that you continue to work with us and please respect our staff and the guidance they give you at all times.

He concluded: “If you have a medical or mental health emergency, then ring 999 immediately or attend your nearest Emergency Department without delay. For all other urgent matters, please use the Phone First service on 0300 020 6000 (8am to midnight), where you will receive advice on the best location to attend. This may be the local Emergency Department, Minor Injuries Unit, Out of Hours GP, community pharmacy, or advice on self-care at home.”