Council backs Altnagelvin's proposed new Emergency Department

Derry City and Strabane District Council has thrown its weight behind the proposed new Emergency Department (ED) at Altnagelvin hospital. 

In January, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt (UUP) said he was “fully supportive” of a new ED but cautioned, a “realistic” time frame until its achievement would be five years, at least. 

At last week’s reconvened full meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Sandra Duffy’s motion calling on the Health Minister and the Executive to “prioritise a new, fit for purpose ED” received unanimous support. 

Cllr Duffy’s full motion read: “This Council notes with concern the extreme pressures staff and patients have been facing in Altnagelvin hospital, particularly in the ED, with pressures evident for many years.

“Council calls on the Health Minister and the Stormont Executive to prioritise a new, fit for purpose ED for Altnagelvin hospital, working with the leadership of the Western Trust.”

Cllr Duffy said public services had been “consistently damaged” by the British Government’s “cuts” and “over a decade of austerity” had left the health and social care system “under severe stress”. 

“Unprecedented staff shortages are leaving GP surgeries, emergency departments, hospitals and other services such as care in the community, unable to meet the needs of patients across the North,” she said, “and nowhere is that more evident than Altnagelvin’s Accident and Emergency Department, which has been experiencing severe pressure for a number of years”.

She added: “The situation there is becoming increasingly untenable for staff and patients, so it is crucial that the health Minister now prioritises a new, fit for purpose ED for the hospital.

“Our constituency offices are dealing with unprecedented numbers of health issues, with people struggling with access to GPs and dentists; sick people in extreme pain on waiting lists for surgery; worried individuals and families waiting to see consultants; and winter pressures making all of these issues much, much worse.

“In fact, this winter we have a new term added to our vocabulary, ‘Corridor Care’, not a term any of us want to hear.

“Addressing these pressures requires a co-ordinated response involving the Department, trusts and community organizations to ensure emergency services remain effective during the challenge in winter months and beyond,” said Cllr Duffy. 

The Ballyarnett Sinn Fein councillor said this response required expanding access to primary care and community health services, to manage non-emergency cases outside the ED.

She added that Altnagelvin faces these “pressures” all year round. 

“There is a clear and demonstrable need for a new, fit for purpose ED,” Cllr Duffy said. “We hear every day the impact this is having on individuals - those in mental health crisis, children, older people, people with chronic conditions, people with dementia and people with very complex needs.

“We have spoken directly with individuals who have been affected, people in extreme despair or distress, who have no separate facility. They often feel the stigma of sitting in the ED with police, afraid of knowing someone and the judgment that comes with this. 

“The lack of consultation rooms also means a lack of privacy to deliver news to families of a loved one or to inform patients of terminal and life-changing illnesses. 

“Unfortunately, this was the experience for many people.  Dozens of older patients have contacted us telling us they've been scared and are waiting up to 20 hours in chairs before admission, witnessing many other patients who are vulnerable and experiencing a mental health crisis or under the influence of substances,” said Cllr Duffy, who also highlighted the fact there is only one toilet in the waiting room.

“One toilet between upwards of 100 sick people, one toilet for people suffering from Crohn’s disease, kidney stones and many other issues. One toilet in which there have been multiple reports of drug taking. One toilet for clinically unwell patients to use.

“Where is the infection control, the dignity and the safety for patients?” asked Cllr Duffy, who added that ambulance staff report being tied up with waiting times of up to 16 hours outside Altnagelvin.

Cllr Duffy said staff have spoken about feeling “burnt out” and experiencing “extremely low morale”.

“Staff have also mentioned assaults, both verbal and physical, and unfortunately this is all contributing to the inability to retain good staff,” said Cllr Duffy.

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“We welcome that the business case for a new ED has been passed. This shows the need has already been demonstrated. What we need to do now is to ensure it is prioritised by the Health Minister and delivered for Derry and the Northwest as soon as possible ,” said Cllr Duffy.

Supporting the proposal, Alderman Niree McMorris (DUP) described the working conditions at Altnagelvin’s ED as “shocking”.

“She added: “Cllr Duffy is right about the toilets and the dignity of patients. 

“We see patients receiving medical intervention on corridors and everywhere. I have to say, this is definitely not a staff issue, this is an issue which the Trust needs to address. The Minister also needs to step up.

“However, the new ED won’t fix all the issues within the Health Service that we're seeing at the minute. We have people being treated in corridors because they can’t get beds in wards. We have people who can’t leave wards because we don't have the domiciliary care to provide for them at home.

“We also have the 2016 Bengoa report [‘Systems, Not Structure: Changing Health and Social Care’] on health reforms which has been sitting on the shelf for a long time; it needs to be brought out, dusted  off and addressed.

“There needs to be widespread reform within our Health Service and it needs to be done urgently because people are losing their lives due to long waiting lists. Health is probably one of the most prevalent issues we deal with on a daily basis,” said Ald McMorris.