NI Health Trusts Missing A&E Targets

All A&E departments in Northern Ireland are missing targets of treating patients within four hours, according to a new report.

The Health and Social Care Board (HSC) report has also highlighted that some emergency departments are performing much better than others.

In a surprise move, the health minister has relaxed the special accountability measures imposed on the Belfast Trust.

Edwin Poots said it was due to the "progress" it had made in A&E care.

The details emerged on Wednesday, as senior health officials gave evidence on A&E performance levels to Stormont's health committee.

The HSC report revealed that none of the local emergency departments are meeting the four-hour target for treating patients.

While the Southern and Western Health Trusts are performing a lot better than their counterparts, the Belfast, South Eastern and especially the Northern Trust have performed poorly.

The author of the report, Nursing and Allied Health professionals director, Mary Hinds, admitted the trusts were struggling.

"It think that trusts sometimes need a target that they can work towards so we have given them some incremental steps - it doesn't replace and doesn't dilute the minister's target but some incremental steps - and the incremental step we have given them is to improve their six-hour performance as well as their four-hour performance."

(H)