Emergency department situation 'worse than during Covid'
A senior doctor has warned that patients waiting long periods in emergency departments to be admitted to hospital are “going to come to harm".
Dr Andrew Dobbin, a consultant at the Ulster Hospital, said there was “almost a one-in, one out-policy” at the hospital because of delays discharging medically fit patients.
He said it has become “quite normal” for staff to be under “significant pressure”.
BBC News NI was granted access to the Ulster Hospital’s discharge hub this week, as well as its emergency department.
Seaneen Pettigrew, a senior manager in the hub, said they were having difficulty securing care in the community as “demand is currently outstripping supply".
She added that the “picture is worse than it was during Covid, because of the demand".
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