Antrim Area Hospital experienced “worst Friday ever”
More than 200 people are waiting in emergency departments across Northern Ireland for a hospital bed as health bosses warn of “unprecedented” pressures. Antrim Area Hospital in particular has been under extreme strain on Friday. The Northern Trust said 56 people have been waiting in the hospital’s Emergency Department for a bed but the hospital is running at 110 percent capacity. In a statement the Northern Trust said: “We are currently experiencing extreme pressures in both of our acute hospitals and in the community.”
Deborah McAleese reports from Antrim Area Hospital:
The Intensive Care Unit at Antrim Hospital is also currently full. Covid patients account for seven of the 10 beds.
The Trust said it is “now operating within a full capacity protocol and associated incident management process”.
The Trust added: “We are working across the system to try and free up capacity and facilitate flow through the system.
We cannot emphasise strongly enough, the significance of these combined pressures coming on a Friday and our fears in relation to capacity over the coming weekend.”
All other Trusts said they were also experiencing extreme pressures.
It comes as a further two patients who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland have died.
Another 1,087 cases of the virus were also notified by the Department of Health.
On Friday morning, there were 397 Covid-positive patients in hospital, with 34 in intensive care.
Some 2,790,786 vaccinations have been administered in the region.
Some 32,000 over-80s in Northern Ireland have received an extra dose, or around 39%.