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Hospital staff 'under pressure' Medical staff 'at breaking point'
(about 2 hours later)
Medical staff at Antrim Area Hospital are at breaking point because of a lack of resources, according to a doctor working in the Northern Trust.Medical staff at Antrim Area Hospital are at breaking point because of a lack of resources, according to a doctor working in the Northern Trust.
Dr Josef Kuriacose, who is a GP in Moneymore and a consultant physician, said "silly targets" were putting too much pressure on staff. Dr Josef Kuriacose, a consultant physician, said "silly targets" were putting too much pressure on staff.
Dr Kuriacose said management at the trust were not being realistic.Dr Kuriacose said management at the trust were not being realistic.
He also said many patients were having to endure long waits on trolleys before receiving treatment. Peter Flanagan, medical director at the Northern Trust, said staff were working under pressure, but denied that the targets being set were unrealistic.
"I can confirm there is a lot of pressure at the hospital at the moment, in the same way there is a lot of pressure at every hospital in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK," he said.
"These targets also apply throughout England and the English hospitals are by in large much better at achieving these targets, so it's not impossible.
"It's a matter of how we provide the profile of the services that we do and how we make best use of the beds that we have.
"I think it is important that we don't make a crisis out of something that is not actually a crisis at this moment."
Dr Kuriacose said many patients were having to endure long waits on trolleys before receiving treatment.
"The reason basically is that they have run out of money, because of that they have shut casualty in the Mid Ulster and Whiteabbey (hospitals) and there are no surgical admissions there either," he said."The reason basically is that they have run out of money, because of that they have shut casualty in the Mid Ulster and Whiteabbey (hospitals) and there are no surgical admissions there either," he said.
"They haven't put any extra nurses or doctors in Antrim so those poor people are overwhelmed."They haven't put any extra nurses or doctors in Antrim so those poor people are overwhelmed.
"Patients lie on trolleys.
"This is not a them and us situation, however, there are problems in the sense that budgets are yearly and people have to be seen very quickly with some silly targets, so they are sent to luxury hotels and treated in the private sector which costs millions."This is not a them and us situation, however, there are problems in the sense that budgets are yearly and people have to be seen very quickly with some silly targets, so they are sent to luxury hotels and treated in the private sector which costs millions.
"They are sent to Liverpool, London and they are even exported across the border to Dublin and Blackrock."They are sent to Liverpool, London and they are even exported across the border to Dublin and Blackrock.
"So you have a situation where people are staying in luxury hotels, while others are lying on trolleys without a shred of human dignity."So you have a situation where people are staying in luxury hotels, while others are lying on trolleys without a shred of human dignity.
"The whole thing seems to be a mismanagement of the money we do have.""The whole thing seems to be a mismanagement of the money we do have."
Waiting times Targets
Dr Kuriacose said that there were not enough staff working at the hospital to ensure patients could be seen within the timeframe specified by NHS targets.Dr Kuriacose said that there were not enough staff working at the hospital to ensure patients could be seen within the timeframe specified by NHS targets.
He said: "If you have a target where, for example, that every patient coming to casualty should be seen within four hours, that's the target, but what is your input numbers then - is it 10, 100, 1,000?He said: "If you have a target where, for example, that every patient coming to casualty should be seen within four hours, that's the target, but what is your input numbers then - is it 10, 100, 1,000?
"You have no input numbers and managers make these absurd targets.""You have no input numbers and managers make these absurd targets."
Peter Flanagan, medical director at the Northern Trust, said staff were working under pressure, but denied that the targets being set were unrealistic.
"I can confirm there is a lot of pressure at the hospital at the moment, in the same way there is a lot of pressure at every hospital in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK," he said.
"These targets also apply throughout England and the English hospitals are by in large much better at achieving these targets, so it's not impossible.
"It's a matter of how we provide the profile of the services that we do and how we make best use of the beds that we have.
"I think it is important that we don't make a crisis out of something that is not actually a crisis at this moment."
SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone said he had asked for an urgent meeting with the chief executive of the Northern Trust to discuss conditions at the hospital.SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone said he had asked for an urgent meeting with the chief executive of the Northern Trust to discuss conditions at the hospital.
"If there are intolerable pressures being placed on budgets because of unreasonable targets that has to be revised and looked at again," the mid Ulster representative said."If there are intolerable pressures being placed on budgets because of unreasonable targets that has to be revised and looked at again," the mid Ulster representative said.