Ambulance Delays Contributing To Healthcare Crisis – SDLP

The SDLP's health spokesperson, Colin McGrath MLA, has highlighted lengthy ambulance response times as a significant factor in the ongoing strain on Northern Ireland's health service.

McGrath, who has spoken out about the issue of ambulance delays, particularly in rural areas, made his comments following a recent Assembly debate.

"It was impossible to miss the images of ambulances lined up one after another outside our emergency departments over the Christmas period and I welcome the situation being given some attention in the Assembly today," South Down MLA Mr McGrath said. "However, issues around ambulance service response times are tied up with all the other problems afflicting our health service and stopping patients from getting the best care possible."

McGrath pointed to a breakdown in patient flow throughout the healthcare system, from ambulance arrival to discharge, as a key factor. He continued: "Key to keeping our health service running is the flow of patients, from ambulance to triage, emergency department to wards, and ward to discharge, that simply isn't happening at the moment. Patients who are unable to be admitted to hospital are left waiting in ambulances for hours at a time, which means those same ambulances cannot be used to respond to other incidents. It's a vicious circle where hardworking staff are unable to do their jobs and patients' lives are put at risk.

"An ambulance cannot respond to those in need if they are stuck outside a hospital. We also have huge issues when it comes to response times for those in rural or out of the way areas that mean they do not get the services they deserve. Despite the challenges in this area, all of the problems in our heath service stem from the failure to transform and until the Executive accept that fact and get to work implementing it, every part of our heath infrastructure will remain under pressure.”