AQW 6184/22-27
Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast
Tabled Date: 12/02/2024
Answered On Date: 26/02/2024
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) how many people were admitted to Emergency Departments in 2022; and (ii) how many of these people waited more than six hours to be admitted.
Answer:
Information on (i) the number of attendances at Emergency Departments (EDs) in Northern Ireland, in 2022, and (ii) how many of those attendances spent more than 6 hours in ED after arrival, before being admitted to hospital, is provided in Table 1 overleaf. Please note that the number of attendances is based on new and unplanned review attendances only and does not equate to the number of patients treated, as a patient may attend emergency care departments more than once during each year. A new attendance refers to the first unplanned attendance by a patient for a new clinical condition at an ED / Minor Injuries Unit (MIU). An unplanned review attendance relates to any patient who returns to an ED / Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) without written instruction, for the same or related clinical condition within 30 days of the first (initial) attendance. The length of time a patient waits refers to the time between entering the ED and being logged in at reception, until leaving the ED via discharge or admission to hospital. Table 1: Number of Attendances (New and Unplanned Reviews Only) at Emergency Departments in Northern Ireland in 2022, and of those, the Number who Spent more than 6 Hours in ED from Arrival, before being Admitted to Hospital Year | Total Attendances | Waits of more than 6 Hours before being Admitted | 2022 | 740,492 | 106,761 |
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