Beds shortage prompts hospital delays

Patients have had to wait for hours for beds

Operations are being delayed at some Northern Ireland hospitals because of a severe shortage of beds.

A number of hospitals have been having difficulty finding beds for patients throughout the summer and hospital staff are worried that the situation may worsen significantly as the winter progresses.

The British Medical Association has described the situation as "grim".

Dr Brian Petterson, chairman of the BMA GP's committee, said staff were working under extreme pressure.

"For those of us working in the service it looks pretty grim. For those trying to make sure we have a health service it is very worrying," he said.

Belfast's major hospitals are reported to be among the worst affected, but the beds shortage is not limited to the city.

Last week the Craigavon Hospital in County Armagh warned that it might have to lay off 60 nurses and 40 medical and support staff and close two 36 bed wards to help it out of a cash crisis.

'Under-resourced'

South Belfast MLA Carmel Hanna of the SDLP, a member of the assembly health committee, said local ministers had "inherited a mess" when devolution was established.

"We have to sort it out. We have started to sort it out but many of the problems have been building up for years - certainly the health service has been under-resourced for many years.

"Per capita we have considerably less than England, Wales and Scotland," she said.

Dr Jim McFarland, clinical director at the Ulster Hospital at Dundonald, on the eastern outskirts of Belfast, said it was a daily occurrence for patients in his hospital to be left lying on trolleys while efforts were made to find them a bed.

"We have a constant situation of trolley waits in the accident and emergency department. We would have from six to 20 trolley waits in any one day," he said.

Money is not the only issue here - staff are key to the provision of services, and recruitment and retention of staff, particularly in specialist areas, will be as important as funding

Bairbre de Brun

A spokesperson for the health and social services department Services conceded there was a serious problem.

"The Minister has made it clear that the service needs substantially more money to maintain current levels of provision and support necessary developments." said a spokesman.

Ms de Brun was in discussion with fellow ministers concerning the allocation of future resources, he said.

"In the meantime, boards and trusts are working to make the best possible use of all our facilities.

"Money is not the only issue here. Staff are key to the provision of services, and recruitment and retention of staff, particularly in specialist areas, will be as important as funding."

Alliance Party Assembly member David Ford has written to the minister, calling for "immediate action".

He said the minister had set up a task force in the aftermath of last winter's beds crisis.

"That was reasonable at the time, but there appear to be no tangible results as we move into late autumn.

"Inevitably , there will be severe pressure on beds within two or three months, possibly less. Action is already overdue.

"Any further delay may make the situation critical," he said.