According to the most recent data released by the Department of Heath Safety & Social Services at total of 4,011 patients had to wait over 12 hours in an A&E before being treated, admitted, transferred or discharged home.
As the DHSSPS do not provide the statistical information for waiting times above 12 hours, using the 12 hour base line of patients waiting 12 hours or more a total of 48,132 hours were spent waiting in A&E’s, this is equivalent to a minimum of 2006 days.
This shocking figure is also equivalent to 5.5 years. And does not contain waiting times for patients waiting 4-8 hours or under 4 hours.
For table click here: http://savethemid.weebly.com/uploads/7/4/7/7/7477841/ae_waiting_2012.pdf
Since the implementation of the Hayes report/Developing Better services in 2005 the performance of front line acute care has seriously fell into detriment. The removal of acute service from Omagh, Whiteabbey and Mid Ulster hospitals have had a huge impact upon the capacity of the health service, this coupled with the recent downgrading of Lagan valley, Belfast City and the newly Downe Hospital and proposal of John Compton to downgrade 5 more acute hospitals, Northern Ireland could soon be seeing an “Armageddon” in front line acute care.