SoS Altnagelvin exposes catastrophic rise in hospital emergency alerts
Shocking new statistics show the Derry hospital pressed the emergency button for one hundred days between January and September
Hospital campaign group SoS Altnagelvin held its first public meeting last night (Wednesday, October 21) in Derry’s St Columb’s Hall, hearing from patients and campaigners about the current state of the Accident and Emergency Department, amongst other concerns.
At the meeting, it was revealed that in all of 2025, Altnagelvin operated at ‘Extreme Escalation’ status for 21 days; however, between January and September this year, that figure had increased fivefold to 100 days. That is a shocking state of affairs and should worry all of us who value our hospital and its staff.
If a hospital the size of Altnagelvin is effectively pressing the emergency button 100 times in a year – which doesn’t even include the coming cold and flu season- we have to demand better for our hospital from the Department of Health.
Speaking after the event, Chair Emmet Doyle said: “I am grateful to all those who attended tonight. We are all either former, current, or future patients of Altnagelvin, we want it to be able to provide the services we need, and we are prepared to fight for them.
“The meeting heard from Declan, whose grandfather spent four days in Accident and Emergency at the hospital, and recalled a catalogue of events describing how under pressure staff tried to care for his grandfather, and how the setup in the Department is not fit for purpose. We are grateful to him and his family for their testimony.
“Cuts pushed down the line by the Department and signed off by the Western Trust Board were derided - £26.5m of “savings” whilst at the same time the Department of Health refuse new investment. This will affect unscheduled care and adult mental health services as well as others, and patients will feel those cuts.
“Attendees shared their experiences in A&E and other services under pressure, and despite the Trust submitting business cases to transform the building to accommodate the 80,000 people coming through its doors, the Department of Health has not provided the needed funding,” said Mr Doyle.
He added: “If we don’t mobilise and force investment in our hospital, we will frankly all be attending more funerals – this issue is that serious.
“We are encouraged by the attendance at the meeting, and will now move to pull together a group to lead the campaign from here on in.
“It has to be said – and indeed was commented on at the meeting - that the attendance of two Councillors out of the 40 Councillors of Derry City and Strabane District Council, and none of the 10 MLAs from Foyle and West Tyrone, is deeply regrettable.
“If we are to safeguard our services, we need those elected to speak for us to turn up for Altnagelvin and work with this campaign to fight for them.
“We will now work on the next phase of the campaign, alongside other campaigns seeking to protect their local hospital services. We need people to sign our petition and come on board to help. We are clear – if we don’t fight for better in Altnagelvin, it is only our families and our communities who will suffer.
“Our fantastic healthcare staff are doing all they can, and we must have their backs.”