Department of Health statement on winter pressures
The health and social care system continues to experience severe pressure on services.
The system is working extremely hard to care for patients. Priority will always be given to cases that are immediately life threatening.
We all owe a great debt of gratitude to staff.
The Department, on behalf of the health and social care system, apologises to all patients who are waiting longer than they should and thanks patients and families for their continuing co-operation.
We would appeal to the public to please be patient with staff and to do all they can to support them.
Every one of us can help the health service get through this winter, including by using services appropriately, getting your vaccines if eligible, cooperating with hospital discharge processes and doing all we can to stay well.
HSC Trusts, coordinated by a Regional Control Centre, are deploying all available levers to reduce pressures where possible. These include maximising available hospital bed capacity and taking a system-wide approach to dealing with the challenges.
Close co-operation with independent social care providers is ongoing. This includes a focus on promptly assessing patients ahead of transfers from hospitals to care homes. An app has been developed and is being deployed to provide real time information on available care home places, and digital solutions introduced to maximise Trust Home Care availability.
Priorities for the HSC system remain maximising patient flow through hospitals and reducing ambulance turnaround times at Emergency Departments.
There is a long-term gap between capacity and demand for care. This is exacerbated further by winter-related illnesses. As well as adding to demand for care, these illnesses also reduce staffing numbers.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt commented:
“I am being regularly updated on the pressures and I pay tribute to staff for their outstanding work.
“I warned several weeks ago that the Health and Social Care system was again facing a very difficult winter period. Winter preparedness plans were of course developed but they were always going to mitigate the pressures rather than eradicate them. Serious challenges are also being experienced in neighbouring health services, with flu cases a significant contributory factor.
“I am assured that everything that can be done by the HSC system in the current situation is being done. Longer term solutions require both investment and reform to increase capacity and ensure services can better meet the needs of our community.”