Craigavon Area Hospital A&E staff '˜burnt out'

Craigavon Area Hospital's emergency department experienced a high volume of patients yesterday as staff complained of being 'burnt out' due to winter pressures.
Craigavon Area HospitalCraigavon Area Hospital
Craigavon Area Hospital

Unison representative John Creaney said yesterday afternoon there were 97 patients within the department, and official figures showed waiting times to be 119 minutes at 4pm.

He said: “Staff are telling me they’re burnt out. They’re doing their best but due to the increased pressure and lack of funding there needs to be something done urgently.

“This isn’t just today, it’s been going constantly since December 27 and it has not eased.”

A spokesperson for the Southern Trust said: “Due to the significant rise in demand this winter, our emergency departments, like others across Northern Ireland, remain very busy this week. Whilst staff are prioritising the most urgent patients, regrettably waiting times have been longer than what we would wish.

“We would like to thank staff throughout our hospitals and across our community services for continued dedication and commitment to their patients and clients during this particularly challenging time.”

Related topics: