Paramedics Reveal Ambulance Service Strain

It has been reported that some patients waited more than four hours to be seen at the Ulster Hospital on Monday night.

One paramedic told the BBC that at one stage there were no beds in the hospital and those in need of medical attention were left on stretchers in a corridor.

Crews were held-up passing their patients on to doctors meaning they could not go out to other emergency calls.

BBC Northern Ireland health correspondent Marie Louise Connolly said: "I understand that ambulance services were particularly stretched last night both at the Royal Victoria Hospital and at the Ulster Hospital.

"I received calls from paramedics and then their stories were later confirmed by patients at both hospitals.

"At one stage, in the Ulster Hospital, I'm told that five or six vehicles were queued up waiting to bring patients inside - they had been diverted away from the Royal Victoria Hospital.

"The paramedics who we have spoken to they have asked us to protect their identity but one described the scene as chaotic another said it was embarrassing.

"They were left standing with patients who had called an emergency vehicle so obviously they were ill, they said the situation was particularly tense and it was embarrassing as some patients were trying to help them to help other patients."

A spokesperson for the South Eastern Trust said: "The emergency department at the Ulster Hospital was extremely busy [on Monday] with 66 ambulances attending, 20% above capacity, and 247 new patient attendances.

"There is increased pressure on our staff who continue to provide excellent care to our patients under very challenging circumstances. The large number of ambulances resulted in a longer wait for ambulance turnaround yesterday but this would be out with our normal performance.

"Patients were triaged as normal and on occasion had their treatment started whilst they waited for an appropriate space to become available in the emergency department. Medical and nursing staff in the emergency department worked tirelessly to address patient needs at that time. "

The Ulster Hospital's A&E has seen an extra 10,000 patients since the closure of the emergency department at Belfast City Hospital in 2011.

Alliance health spokesperson Kieran McCarthy said: "Ambulances are not meant to be tied up at the front door of a hospital, they should be responding to emergency calls. Lives are going to be put at risk if this problem is not resolved."

"The Health and Social Care Board should urgently look into what happened on Monday night and ensure that the resources are put in place so that it is not repeated."

(GK)