Emergency Departments remain under pressure

In a statement to the TIMES this afternoon, the Trust said: “The Emergency Departments (ED) at both Antrim Area Hospital and Causeway Hospital have been under severe pressure over the Christmas and New Year period, due to increased attendances of sick and vulnerable people. The EDs remain under pressure.

“The Trust has used bank and agency staff and we have also appealed for any of our own staff who were available and willing to come in to please contact the Patient Flow team. This has helped the Trust to increase capacity in both hospitals and we are extremely grateful to all those staff who responded.”

And the Trust continues to urge the public to only go to their ED if their condition is urgent or life threatening.

“Please use health services appropriately so you can get the treatment you need,” the statement added.