Hours cut at Lagan Valley Hospital's A & E from August
It has been confirmed that there will be a reduction in hours at the A & E department at Lagan Valley Hospital in Lisburn from the start of next month.
The South Eastern Trust said that from 1 August the department would change from operating 24 hours a day to being open from 09:00 to 20:00 BST daily.
It said this was a "temporary change" due to a shortage of medical staff.
The trust said the new hours were "expected to be in place for a number of months".
It added that its efforts to recruit more doctors would continue.
The trust said the Health and Social Care Board had agreed that temporary changes proposed by the trust were necessary.
It said the board had been working with all trusts including the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to ensure that the changes "can happen smoothly and safely".
There are no changes to any other service at Lagan Valley Hospital.
Last week, Health Minister Edwin Poots indicated that opening hours at the hospital would be restricted from August.
He said this was due to the shortage of junior doctors.