AQW 35304/22-27

Mr Danny Donnelly
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 12/11/2025
Answered On Date: 26/11/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health whether there are any plans to record and publish the specific data required for the standardised mortality ratio in order to ascertain the number of excess deaths associated with long waits in Emergency Departments.

Answer:

I refer to my previous response to AQW 33053/ 22-27 on this matter. I acknowledge the serious concerns regarding prolonged waiting times in emergency departments (EDs) and remain committed to working with Health and Social Care Trusts and community services to implement a range of actions aimed at improving patient flow and reducing delays for patients. My Department continues to work closely with the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) and other professional bodies to identify and apply best practice approaches to improve flow within hospitals.

Through engagement with the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Emergency Medicine Team, my Department is aware of the Standard Mortality Ratio methodology, which estimates excess deaths associated with stays of 12 hours or longer prior to admission to a hospital bed. However, my Department does not hold specific data on the number of excess deaths linked to extended waits in EDs. Establishing causality in such cases is highly complex and would require more granular data than is currently available.

Recognising the significant challenges faced by EDs, my Department has worked closely with Health and Social Care Trusts and community services to implement a range of measures aimed at improving patient flow and reducing delays.

To help alleviate pressures within EDs, my Department has introduced a number of targeted initiatives. These include the expansion of urgent care centres, the roll-out of Phone First services and the development of minor injury units. These services provide patients with timely alternatives to ED attendance, ensuring that those who do attend can be seen, treated and discharged more promptly.

Additional support has also been provided to Trusts ahead of winter to address ambulance handover delays outside EDs, ensuring that patients are transferred safely and without unnecessary delay. Furthermore, in preparation for the winter period, my Department has worked with the RCEM and the Trusts to secure the appointment of an additional 20 emergency medicine consultants over the past year. This will strengthen resilience and enhance senior decision-making capacity within EDs.

All of these measures are designed to improve patient flow throughout hospitals, reduce congestion in EDs and improve waiting times. These actions form part of a broader, system-wide approach to ensure that patients receive timely, safe and effective care both within EDs and across the wider health and social care system.