Altnagelvin Hospital Grapples with “Extreme Pressure”

The Western Trust has reported that Altnagelvin Hospital is facing extreme pressures, leading to a “full escalation of beds on all wards and departments.” An appeal has been made to the Trust by a man whose elderly father has been awaiting care in the hospital’s emergency department since Friday evening. Terence Harkin stated that his father, William, aged 78, had been in the ED for almost 48 hours. The Trust has issued an apology to patients experiencing extended waiting times at the facility. The Trust commented: “Unfortunately, due to these extreme pressures, patients waiting for admission to a ward are having to wait longer in our emergency departments than we would like and we apologise for this.” Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme, Mr Harkin disclosed that his father, a cancer patient, had initially waited on a chair and subsequently in a bed located in a corridor within the hospital’s emergency department. He stated: “My father is not well, he is in a lot of pain,” adding, “I’ve been told that it could be a lung infection but he is waiting to be admitted to a ward for treatment. He isn’t eating properly, he had severe chest pains, coughing and stomach pains and they can’t admit him.” Mr Harkin clarified that he did not hold the hospital staff responsible, acknowledging their efforts in challenging conditions. He expressed his concern, saying: “My father is frail and pale, he is in and out of sleep and I am very worried that someone of his age and frailty has been left in a corridor waiting for a ward.” He further commented: “I am just worried about my 78-year-old father, I think the NHS is ready to collapse into itself with the lack of staff and funding.” The Western Trust indicated that these pressures are not confined to its specific area but are prevalent throughout Northern Ireland. The Trust reported that on Monday, the emergency department continued to be “extremely busy” and inpatient wards had reached full capacity. A spokesperson affirmed: “We want to reassure the public that we are doing the best that we can.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.