DoH say reducing ambulance handover delays is 'a key priority'

The Department of Health and the NI Ambulance Service have replied to comments from MLA Justin McNulty following the publishing of Ambulance transfer times at Hospitals throughout the north. In one case a patient waited 12 hours to be transferred from the ambulance to Craigavon Hospital. (MLA slams patient wait of up to 12hrs in ambulance at Craigavon Hospital ) Mr McNulty said “People in Newry and South Armagh were told that they had nothing to fear from the withdrawal of emergency general surgery from Daisy Hill, and that it was “safer” for people in the Newry area to be transferred by ambulance to receive treatment at Craigavon. These figures from the ambulance service run a coach and horses through that argument."

A Department of Health spokesperson said "It is recognised that ambulance waiting times are symptomatic of broader pressures on the urgent and emergency care system and to address these delays, a wider-system approach is required.

Reducing ambulance handover delays outside emergency departments has been a key priority due to the impact this has on NIAS’s capacity to respond to calls in the community, particularly Category 1 and Category 2 emergency calls.

"The Department has already taken a number of steps to reduce ambulance waiting times, working together with NIAS and Trusts to implement initiatives to improve patient flow through the urgent and emergency care system, provide additional pathways as alternatives to conveying patients to the Emergency Department, and to ensure timely discharge for patients who no longer require hospital care."

The DoH say they have allocated funding to NIAS for additional Hospital Ambulance Liaison Officers at main hospital sites to improve the coordination of ambulance arrivals and turnarounds. adding "We continue to work with NIAS on workforce planning and have given a commitment to provide funding to recruit the first cohort due to graduate from the new Paramedic Degree this June." 

In their reply Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said they are not in a position to comment on hospital locations.  "The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service provides an emergency response to patients who call us from across the region.

"NIAS is not in a position to provide comment on hospital locations. We will work with Trust colleagues to ensure that patients are brought to the most appropriate hospital for their needs."