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| Pressure mounts at city hospitals | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Belfast's hospitals are under "extreme pressure" dealing with emergencies. | |
| It follows the closure of the A & E department at the Ulster Hospital at Dundonald to some admissions. | |
| A spokesperson for the Royal, the City and the Mater said they were doing their best to cope and "treat patients safely". | |
| The problem is expected to persist until Thursday morning and patients are advised to stay away unless it is an absolute emergency. | |
| The Ulster Hospital at Dundonald has had to divert emergencies to other Belfast hospitals due to an unprecedented number of admissions. | The Ulster Hospital at Dundonald has had to divert emergencies to other Belfast hospitals due to an unprecedented number of admissions. |
| They are advising members of the public not to go to the hospital unless it is extremely urgent. | They are advising members of the public not to go to the hospital unless it is extremely urgent. |
| In a statement, the hospital said a "range of measures were in place to manage the situation". | In a statement, the hospital said a "range of measures were in place to manage the situation". |
| It said staff were working with Belfast Trust colleagues to ensure all patients across the area were being treated. | It said staff were working with Belfast Trust colleagues to ensure all patients across the area were being treated. |
| The hospital said it had put "a temporary divert on all ambulances arriving at the hospital, within agreed protocols". | The hospital said it had put "a temporary divert on all ambulances arriving at the hospital, within agreed protocols". |
| It said the situation was well "under control", but some patients were "experiencing longer than acceptable waiting times for admission to hospital". | It said the situation was well "under control", but some patients were "experiencing longer than acceptable waiting times for admission to hospital". |
| "Until this situation eases, we would appeal to the general public to be patient at this time as waiting times will be longer than usual," the statement added. | "Until this situation eases, we would appeal to the general public to be patient at this time as waiting times will be longer than usual," the statement added. |
| John Compton, Chief Executive of the South Eastern Trust, said "dedicated staff were working flat out in very difficult circumstances". | John Compton, Chief Executive of the South Eastern Trust, said "dedicated staff were working flat out in very difficult circumstances". |
| Earlier this month, the Northern Health Trust cancelled all non-urgent elective surgery at Antrim and Causeway hospitals, as resources were stretched. | Earlier this month, the Northern Health Trust cancelled all non-urgent elective surgery at Antrim and Causeway hospitals, as resources were stretched. |
| It said both hospitals had seen increased numbers of people, particularly the elderly, with flu-like symptoms and chest infections. | It said both hospitals had seen increased numbers of people, particularly the elderly, with flu-like symptoms and chest infections. |
| The Belfast Health Trust also said that the number of patients with flu symptoms had led to some operations being cancelled. |