Tag Archives: Antrim Area Hospital

Beggs questions planning behind staffing levels at new Antrim Area A&E Department

Ulster Unionist Health Spokesperson Roy Beggs MLA has questioned the planning behind the staffing levels at the new Accident and Emergency Department at Antrim Area Hospital which officially opens today (Wednesday 26 June 13). Roy Beggs MLA commented; “The problems at Antrim Area Hospital’s A&E Department have been well rehearsed over the past two years and I have previously highlighted the fact that the NHS waiting target of 95% of patients being seen within 4 hours has been routinely missed by large margins. The opening of the expanded Accident and Emergency Unit at Antrim should be a cause of optimism. However the good news has again been clouded with confusion about the planned staffing levels. We have been informed by a Trust official via the media that 20 new nurses have been recruited to work in the new unit. Yet recently my colleague Robin Swann, North Antrim UUP MLA put … Continue reading

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No Reassurance from Health Minister on A&E Waiting Times

East Antrim UUP MLA Roy Beggs has again raised the issue of waiting times at Casualty Units in Northern Ireland, in particular at Antrim Area Hospital. Questioning the Minister at Stormont, Mr Beggs said: During March and April, the main accident and emergency units in Northern Ireland saw the lowest proportion of patients treated within four hours ever recorded.  The figures show that one third of patients at Antrim Area Hospital are not seen within four hours and that, at the Causeway Hospital, it is about 30% of patients.  How can the Minister be confident that we are seeing something more significant than the normal seasonal adjustment as we approach the summer months?  How can he be sure that we are seeing significant improvement and changes and are starting to reach the 95% target that exists everywhere in the United Kingdom?” Replying, Health Minister Poots could give no assurances that … Continue reading

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New Ward Opens at Antrim. New A&E in June

East Antrim MLA and Ulster Unionist spokesman on health Roy Beggs Jnr has welcomed the opening of a new 24 bed ward at Antrim Area hospital, and the imminent opening of a new Accident and Emergency unit at the crisis hit hospital. Mrs Beggs, in wake of continuing service failures and missed targets at Antrim A&E, placed an Assembly question to the Minister of Health, “Given that Antrim Area Hospital Accidents and Emergency Department was designed to deal with 30,000 patients per year but receives 72,000 patients per year, what additional resources have been made available to staff in the Accident and Emergency Department?” The Ministerial reply refers to the opening on 17th April of a new 24 bed ward and “a new £9M state of the art emergency has been constructed which will cater for up to 90,000 attendances a year. The new unit is expected to be operational … Continue reading

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Roy Highlights Need for Pain Management Clinic in Northern Trust area

Beggs urges Northern Health Trust to appoint designated support staff for pain management clinics. East Antrim MLA Roy Beggs has called on the Northern Health & Social Care Trust to appoint designated support staff for pain management clinics, in line with other HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland. Mr Beggs said; “Pain management services are critical for the recovery of patients following illnesses, as well as those who suffer from chronic pain. It is therefore imperative that the service they provide is of the highest level. ‘I wrote to the Health Minister and asked him to break down by HSC Trust, the number of staff working in specialist pain services. The Northern HSC Trust was found to be the only Trust with no designated staff to support pain management consultants. This is not in line with other HSC Trusts who have at least one Specialist Nurse in order to assist the … Continue reading

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A&E Waiting Figures Fail NHS Targets

Roy Beggs MLA has said the latest statistics on waiting times in Accident and Emergency Departments within Northern Ireland’s hospitals make for disappointing reading. The new Ulster Unionist Party health spokesman highlighted the contrast between the A&E waiting times figures for hospitals in England and Northern Ireland in question time at Stormont this week. The East Antrim MLA has also highlighted the fact that the worst performing A&E is at Antrim Area Hospital. The East Antrim MLA pointed out to Health Minister Poots, “In England over 95 % of patients at type 1 A&Es (full time departments in acute hospitals) are seen within four hours, yet the latest published figures in NI shows only 77.7% are seen within 4 hours. In fact a large number of patients are treated after a wait of 12 hours or more.” Mr Beggs went on to urge the Minister to improve GP out of … Continue reading

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