Emergency department coping with ‘unprecedented’ pressures

By Roisin Henderson

THE Emergency Department (ED) at the South West Acute Hospital has been dealing with “unprecedented” demand over the past fortnight, with hundreds of additional patients attending the already under-pressure department over the Easter break.

A spokeswoman for the Western Trust has told the UH the ED is “extremely busy at the present time and under pressure to deliver an effective service in an already stretched system”, and “the level of patients being accommodated within the ED is unprecedented”.

For example, on one weekday last week there were 88 patients waiting to be seen at the ED, and 31 awaiting admission.

“Patients are waiting longer to be seen, treated and admitted to a hospital bed or discharged home,” said the spokeswoman.

“Over the period from Thursday, April 14 to Friday, April 22 there were 959 attendances at the Emergency Department, compared to 824 patients over the same period across Easter 2021, some 135 patients more.

“During the same timeframe there were 157 patients admitted to the hospital… with 134 patients admitted during the same Easter period in 2021, 23 more patients than last year.”

They added, “There were no extenuating staff pressures over the Easter period that contributed to the current Emergency Department situation. There is no differences in our vacancy rate or absence rate since last year. All staff have been working tirelessly to see and treat all patients as quickly as possible.”

So what has been creating the additional pressure? Part of the problem is delayed discharges from the SWAH, said the spokeswoman.

“This means that there are fewer beds to admit patients into and patients that require
admission are waiting longer in the ED for admission,” they
said.

“The number of patients waiting greater than 12 hours is increasing with a peak of 29 patients waiting greater than 12 hours within a 24-hour period from Thursday April, 14 to Friday, April 22, compared to a peak of 10 over the same Easter period in 2021.”