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A health official in Northern Ireland has said that the pressure on hospitals is mounting, as the Antrim Area Hospital warned it is operating beyond capacity.
Wendy Magowan, director of operations for the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, said there are 35 people in the hospital’s emergency department this morning, 33 of whom are waiting for a bed.
The figure is higher than 27 yesterday.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Magowan said the consultants had expressed concern that if someone had a serious illness or injury that was not related to Covid-19, there was nowhere to treat it.
“Sadly, that is an image that we are seeing in Northern Ireland,” he said. “Not just in the Antrim Area Hospital. The pressure on hospitals is certainly increasing and it is much more complicated due to Covid.”
As the day progresses and the Antrim hospital receives more referrals, the pressure will mount, Magowan added.
He said patients are left waiting in ambulances, which is not only distressing for them, but also causes delays in emergency service.
“There is nowhere to unload patients” because the emergency department is packed, he said.
“The last time the numbers were high, during the first wave, there was a lot of capacity.
“People were almost afraid to come to the hospital, and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing, but we had a lot more capacity.
“Our emergency services were really low, we had much fewer people in the hospital. Now we have returned to our normal numbers and we all know that the system was already under pressure before the Covid.”
Latest coronavirus stories
Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann warned last week of the impact of an increase in Covid-19 cases in hospitals.
Swann said that in a few days Northern Ireland will surpass the highest number of hospital admissions experienced in the first wave of the pandemic, adding: “This is how dire our current situation is.”
Yesterday, the Department of Health reported 727 new cases of coronavirus and five more deaths related to Covid-19.
There have been 34,832 confirmed cases, including 6,828 in the last seven days.
The death toll recorded by the department now stands at 658.
There are 342 Covid-19 patients being treated at the hospital, with 39 in intensive care.
Nine test positive for Covid-19 in the room of the Ulster Hospital
Two patients and seven staff members in a ward at Ulster Hospital on the outskirts of Belfast tested positive for Covid-19.
Another nine patients are self-isolating and the ward has been closed to new admissions and visits.
“Staff members who tested positive follow public health guidelines and self-isolate at home,” said a spokeswoman for the South Eastern Health Trust.
“Additional infection prevention and control measures have been put in place to contain any further spread.
“We would like to assure all patients and members of the public attending Ulster Hospital that it is safe to do so.
“Relatives of patients in ward 16 should contact the ward directly if they have any questions.”
Additional reporting PA
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