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No A&E crisis, Edwin Poots tells Northern Ireland Assembly | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
There is no crisis within Northern Ireland's accident and emergency departments, the health minister has told the assembly. | |
Edwin Poots was responding to an urgent question asked by the SDLP following last week's major incident at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. | |
Belfast Health Trust said the move was necessary to trigger more staff to come into help clear a backlog of patients. | |
Staff and patients said conditions were horrendous. | |
Mr Poots however said some politicians and the media should have been more mature in their response to what happened. | |
The SDLP said the closures of two other A&E units at weekends had made matters worse. | |
The party has secured a debate on the restoration of full A&E hours at Downe Hospital in County Down. | |
The debate will take place on Tuesday. | |
Downe Hospital's emergency unit, and that of Lagan Valley Hospital in Lisburn, County Antrim, are now closed at weekends due to a shortage of staff. | Downe Hospital's emergency unit, and that of Lagan Valley Hospital in Lisburn, County Antrim, are now closed at weekends due to a shortage of staff. |
The decision was taken before Christmas and the first weekend closures took place on Saturday 4 January. | The decision was taken before Christmas and the first weekend closures took place on Saturday 4 January. |
'One-off' | 'One-off' |
Four days later, Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) declared a major incident, calling in dozens of extra staff to help clear a backlog of patients waiting for A&E treatment. | Four days later, Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) declared a major incident, calling in dozens of extra staff to help clear a backlog of patients waiting for A&E treatment. |
Mr Poots previously said the incident was a "one-off" and had arisen due to a "massive number" of hospital admissions between Monday and Wednesday. | |
He said staff had coped and turned around what was "a very bad situation" within three hours. | He said staff had coped and turned around what was "a very bad situation" within three hours. |
But the SDLP's health spokesperson, Fearghal McKinney, said cutbacks at Downe and Lagan Valley were putting pressure on other full-time emergency departments. | But the SDLP's health spokesperson, Fearghal McKinney, said cutbacks at Downe and Lagan Valley were putting pressure on other full-time emergency departments. |
'Crippling pressures' | 'Crippling pressures' |
He said the weekend closures "contributed significantly to the surge in demand" at the RVH and Craigavon Area Hospital in County Armagh. | He said the weekend closures "contributed significantly to the surge in demand" at the RVH and Craigavon Area Hospital in County Armagh. |
The SDLP MLA said Mr Poots "must wake up to the crippling pressures faced by A&E departments and put in place a strategy". | The SDLP MLA said Mr Poots "must wake up to the crippling pressures faced by A&E departments and put in place a strategy". |
"The deepening crisis over A&E provision is alarming and must be addressed by the minister as a matter of urgency," he said. | "The deepening crisis over A&E provision is alarming and must be addressed by the minister as a matter of urgency," he said. |
"Doctors and nursing staff should never have to face a night like they did last Wednesday at the Royal Victoria Hospital." | "Doctors and nursing staff should never have to face a night like they did last Wednesday at the Royal Victoria Hospital." |