Extreme pressures: Northern Ireland hospitals struggle with surge in patients
WATCH: Full analysis from UTV's Health Reporter Deborah McAleese:
Despite the number of patients needing critical care for Covid declining in Northern Ireland hospitals, medics are still struggling to cope with the volume of people needing treatment and attending A&E for other conditions.
On Tuesday night the Ulster Hospital had to issue an extreme pressure warning, asking people not to come to the emergency department unless it was an emergency - otherwise they would be waiting a very long time to be seen.
More than 80 people attended the department on Tuesday night.
And on Wednesday, pressures were being felt in Antrim Area Hospital with more than 50 patients waiting in ED for a bed.
This is reflected across all hospital trust areas.
It comes amid concern that some patients are struggling to access GP out of hours services and are therefore attending EDs.
Dr Laurence Dorman of the Royal College of GPs in Northern Ireland said the pressures on out of hours services are reflected in the in hour services and warned that urgent investment is needed to meet demand.
"We are struggling to meet the demand within our services. We are simply doing our very best," Dr Dorman told UTV.
He added: "We badly need more GPs. We are seeing more and more GPs retiring from the service and we are simply going to have to recruit and retain many more GPs to meet these demands.
"The ongoing political crisis in Northern Ireland is causing concern that much needed reform of the health system could be put on hold unless a three year budget can be agreed.