Hospital pressures felt as cold weather bites

Northern Ireland hospitals continue to come under excessive strain as emergency departments grapple with winter pressures.

On Tuesday, the south Eastern Trust warned the Ulster Hospital accident and emergency was under 'extreme pressure.'

Taking to twitter, the Trust said 152 patients were in the emergency department as of midday, while 63 were awaiting admission.

Patients are urged to use health services appropriately.

In an online post, the trust advises anyone with 'serious medical needs where there is a serious risk to life or health' to use emergency services, while others with 'minor short term conditions' are advised to self care or seek help from a pharmacist.

No one from the Trust was available for comment.

Meanwhile, the Northern Trust was also hit with worryingly high patient numbers on Monday evening.

Causeway and Antrim Area Hospitals saw 210 patients in emergency departments, while 70 were awaiting admission.

It comes amid a backdrop of freezing cold temperatures and healthcare worker's strikes.

Temperatures have reached below zero for seven consecutive days, while Sunday was recorded as the coldest night of the year so far with -9 recorded in Katesbridge.

Meanwhile, on Monday, staff from across three healthcare unions took to the picket lines in a 24-hour walkout amid a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.

Nurses on the picket line remained defiant and said they were met with solidarity from patients.

On Thursday, members from the Royal College of Nursing will stage the first of two days of strike action before Christmas, after talks to avert the strike failed.

RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen accused the Health Secretary Steve Barclay of "belligerence," three days before their first strike date in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In a statement, the RCN boss said: "The Government was true to its word - they would not talk to me about pay."

Speaking on Monday evening, Ms Cullen said: "I needed to come out of this meeting with something serious to show nurses why they should not strike this week.

"Regrettably, they are not getting an extra penny.

"Ministers had too little to say and I had to speak at length about the unprecedented strength of feeling in the profession.

"I expressed my deep disappointment at the belligerence - they have closed their books and walked away."

The union is demanding a pay rise of 5% above the RPI rate of inflation, which was 14.2% in October, but Ms Cullen has hinted that she could compromise if the Government negotiates on pay.

Mr Barclay has been sticking with the independent pay review body's recommendation of a £1,400 raise.

He was under increasing pressure to settle a deal after strikes by ambulance staff and some NHS workers in Scotland were called off after members of two unions voted to accept the Scottish Government's recent pay deal.

Unite and Unison members called off action after negotiations with Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and the intervention of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The new deal would mean NHS workers in Scotland would remain the best-paid in the UK and workers would get pay rises ranging from £2,205 to £2,751.

For the lowest paid it would be a rise of 11.3%, with an average rise of 7.5%.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said Mr Barclay "again listened to the RCN's position on pay and reiterated the Government has agreed to the recommendations of the independent pay review body".

"He said that any further pay increase would mean taking money away from frontline services and reducing the 7.2 million elective backlog," the official added.

"Mr Barclay said he would continue to engage with the RCN as we move into the pay review process for next year and on non-pay related issues."

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