Public urged not to attend Antrim Hospital as ED battles 'extreme pressure'

The public has been urged not to attend Antrim Hospital unless their condition is urgent or life threatening, as the emergency department battles "extreme pressure".

In a tweet posted on Tuesday, the Northern Trust said the hospital was in "a very difficult position."

It read: "The ED at Antrim Hospital is in a very difficult position this morning. As of 9.00am, there are 93 people in the ED with 72 awaiting a bed.

"We are asking people not to attend unless their condition is urgent or life threatening and to use alternative services.

"To help us free up beds, we also need patients who are fit for discharge to work with us and accept placements that are immediately available."

It followed a previous tweet by the Northern Trust on Monday evening, which said the ED at Antrim Hospital was under "extreme pressure."

It went on: "Our staff in our ED who are working extremely hard under sustained pressure to do all they can to care for our most vulnerable patients."

It follows warnings by the Health Minister to his ministerial colleagues that he will need to go over his budget by £400million to continue delivering effective services.

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