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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Antrim Area Hospital A&E failing to meet targets | Antrim Area Hospital A&E failing to meet targets |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The A&E department at Antrim Area Hospital is still not meeting its targets, according to figures obtained by the BBC | The A&E department at Antrim Area Hospital is still not meeting its targets, according to figures obtained by the BBC |
| They show regular breaches of waiting time targets. Last week, 100 patients waited 12 hours or more before being admitted. | |
| There was another major spike in waiting times from 5 to 11 January when 132 people waited 12 hours or more. | There was another major spike in waiting times from 5 to 11 January when 132 people waited 12 hours or more. |
| The trust has apologised to anyone who "had a bad experience". | The trust has apologised to anyone who "had a bad experience". |
| In December, the chairman of the Northern Health Trust, Jim Stewart, was sacked by Health Minister Edwin Poots after targets for the A&E department were not met. | In December, the chairman of the Northern Health Trust, Jim Stewart, was sacked by Health Minister Edwin Poots after targets for the A&E department were not met. |
| The minister then brought in experts from England to support the team in an attempt to boost the unit's performance. | The minister then brought in experts from England to support the team in an attempt to boost the unit's performance. |
| Janice Smyth of the Royal College of Nursing said nurses in emergency departments were struggling to care for patients. | Janice Smyth of the Royal College of Nursing said nurses in emergency departments were struggling to care for patients. |
| "I think that we have had some problems in our emergency departments for some time," she said. | "I think that we have had some problems in our emergency departments for some time," she said. |
| "Behind the numbers and targets, what we all need to remember is that there are people, individual human beings with their own circumstances who require medical care and attention. | "Behind the numbers and targets, what we all need to remember is that there are people, individual human beings with their own circumstances who require medical care and attention. |
| "To have to wait up to four hours for someone to tell you whether you need to go into hospital or not, then up to 12 hours or more to get a bed in that hospital, is totally unacceptable. | "To have to wait up to four hours for someone to tell you whether you need to go into hospital or not, then up to 12 hours or more to get a bed in that hospital, is totally unacceptable. |
| "It's predominately nursing and medical staff who are left to deal with the consequences of a system that does not work." | "It's predominately nursing and medical staff who are left to deal with the consequences of a system that does not work." |
| In a statement, the trust said it had introduced a range of measures to improve access to unscheduled care. | In a statement, the trust said it had introduced a range of measures to improve access to unscheduled care. |
| It added: "It has taken a whole system approach, meaning all activity is not solely focused on the emergency department, but on improving patient flow throughout the hospital to create capacity for emergency department admissions. | It added: "It has taken a whole system approach, meaning all activity is not solely focused on the emergency department, but on improving patient flow throughout the hospital to create capacity for emergency department admissions. |
| "This has resulted in a 40% decrease in the number of patients waiting 12 hours for admission to hospital compared to this period of time last year." | "This has resulted in a 40% decrease in the number of patients waiting 12 hours for admission to hospital compared to this period of time last year." |
| The trust's Margaret O'Hagan said Antrim A&E was "too small for the service that it's trying to provide". | The trust's Margaret O'Hagan said Antrim A&E was "too small for the service that it's trying to provide". |
| "We will have a new department at the end of June which will give a lot more space for patients to be seen and treated," she said. | "We will have a new department at the end of June which will give a lot more space for patients to be seen and treated," she said. |