AQW 49337/22-27

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 23/06/2026
Answered On Date: 21/07/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any steps he is taking to reduce and prevent corridor care in Antrim Area Hospital.

Answer:

I fully recognise the significant pressures currently being experienced within emergency departments (EDs), including Antrim Area Hospital, which result in patients receiving care in inappropriate clinical environments. My Department continues to work closely with all Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts to improve patient flow through hospitals and reduce overcrowding in EDs.

Corridor care in our hospitals is a direct consequence of sustained pressures across the HSC system, and I am acutely aware of the risks it poses to patient safety and dignity. These risks have been clearly highlighted by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), including the unacceptable experience of patients being assessed and treated in nonclinical spaces, the loss of privacy and dignity, an increased risk of

clinical deterioration, and the significant impact on staff working under extreme and prolonged pressure.

In advance of last winter, my Department provided funding to Trusts to implement actions designed to mitigate, rather than immediately eradicate, the impact of these challenges. This focus has been on improving patient flow, increasing capacity in key areas, and strengthening community-based alternatives to hospital care. Measures supported include enhanced discharge processes, rapid access clinics, and additional staffing to manage surges in demand and support safer, more timely care.

Specifically, the Northern HSC Trust has implemented plans to improve hospital flow and strengthen alternatives to admission. In Antrim Area Hospital, the Trust implemented a range of measures to improve patient flow and alleviate pressures, including:

Urgent Care Centre screening at the front door and enhanced post-triage navigation within ED;

Development and strengthening of Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) and ambulatory care models, including Frailty, Respiratory, Cardiology, Surgical and Acute Medical pathways;

Enhanced access to diagnostics, including blood tests and imaging, to support faster decision-making and reduce delays;

Full implementation of the site co-ordinator role and improved ward processes using the SAFER model to support timely care and earlier discharge;

Optimisation of discharge lounge use and progress towards seven-day Allied Health Professional (AHP) working to support discharge across the week;

Implementation of an Integrated Single Discharge Team to streamline discharge planning and execution;

Enhanced community capacity, including Early Review Team assessment of domiciliary care packages; and,

Digitisation of in-house domiciliary care via Careline Live, supporting more responsive and efficient care delivery in the community.

These actions are aligned to the broader objective of ensuring patients access the most appropriate care pathway first time, reducing avoidable ED attendance and admission through measures such as expanding phone first services, increasing rapid access ambulatory clinics, and strengthening community provision, including hospital at home.

Managing these pressures is complex and requires both immediate mitigations and sustained, longer-term reform across hospital capacity, social care, and community services. Staff in EDs, including those at Antrim Area Hospital, continue to work tirelessly under extremely demanding circumstances and deserve recognition for their professionalism and commitment.

My Department remains firmly committed to patient safety and to reducing and ultimately eliminating the circumstances in which corridor care occurs. We will continue to work closely with the Northern HSC Trust to monitor performance, improve flow and strengthen community alternatives.