‘Worst’ A&E data on record must galvanise NI government to act – RCEM

Tuesday 25 February 2025

Northern Ireland’s Emergency Departments are under massive strain as new data revealed 2024 saw the country’s worst year, quarter and month ever recorded for A&E performance.

The new analysis has prompted the Royal College of Emergency Medicine to call on the government to make addressing the issues facing the urgent and emergency care system its priority as patients and staff bear the brunt.

The new data released today (25 February 2025) by the Department of Health shows that more people than ever before had to endure a wait of 12 hours or more in one of the country’s A&Es in 2024 despite fewer people attending.

And when analysing the full year, the data shows 2024 was the worst year on record for A&E performance; the months October to December were the worst quarter on record; and December was the worst month.

With no sign of the additional demand caused by seasonal viruses abating there is no respite.

The data covers the last three months of 2024 which allow analysis of the full year to be done.

The quarterly data which covers 1 October 2024 to 31 December 2024 also showed:

• Almost 1 out of every 4 people (22.9%) waited 12 hours or more in December.
• Between October and December only one in three patients (33.8%) were seen within the target of four hours – 6.5% fewer than the same period in 2023.
• In December, only 31.9% of people were seen within the target of four hours, the worst month on record.

Dr Russell McLaughlin, Vice President for RCEM Northern Ireland said: “The analysis using today’s data couldn’t present a clearer picture. The situation is deteriorating.

“My colleagues and I have pushed through yet another hugely challenging winter as we have had to deal with a surge in seasonal viruses.

“However, we cannot let this annual spike be blamed as the sole cause of the issues we are seeing in our E.Ds. The challenges are perennial, and they are putting our patients at risk and pushing clinicians to breaking point.

“No one wants to be in a situation where almost a quarter of our patients can expect to face a 12 hour wait. We know that long waits are unsafe and undignified for our patients – we simply should not tolerate this any longer.

“The government must act and make addressing this worsening crisis in our Emergency Departments its priority.”

Emergency Departments across Northern Ireland faced a gruelling winter, impacted by admissions from flu and other respiratory infections, with hundreds of people across the country waiting for a hospital bed on one day in December.