Emergency Care Waiting Time statistics (July – September 2015)

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) today published statistics on the time spent waiting in emergency care departments within Northern Ireland during the months of July, August and September 2015.

The statistical bulletin presents information on all new and unplanned review attendances during the months of July, August and September 2015. It also details the monthly performance against the DHSSPS ministerial target for emergency waiting times at emergency care departments.

Key Points

The key findings presented in the statistical bulletin are listed below.

Latest position (September 2015):

• During September 2015, 74.7% of attendances at type 1 emergency care departments were treated and discharged, or admitted within four hours of their arrival, compared with 89.1% at type 2 departments, and 99.9% at type 3 departments (table 2).
• In September 2015, 67 (0.1%) of the 62,189 attendances at emergency care departments in Northern Ireland waited longer than 12 hours to be either treated and discharged home, or admitted (table 2).

Position during last three months (July - September 2015):

Between July and September 2015:

• The percentage of patients attending type 1 emergency care departments that were treated and discharged home, or admitted within four hours decreased, from 78.2% to 74.7% (figure 1, table 2).
• In type 2 emergency care departments, the percentage of patients attending that were either treated and discharged home, or admitted within four hours decreased, from 91.1% to 89.1% (figure 1, table 2).
• The percentage of patients attending type 3 emergency care departments treated and discharged home, or admitted within four hours continued to be almost 100.0% (figure 1, table 2).
• The number of patients waiting longer than 12 hours increased (23, 52.3%) from 44 to 67, with Altnagelvin Area reporting the largest decrease in performance, from 0 to 18 (table 2 & table 3).
• Between July and September 2015, monthly attendances at all emergency care departments increased by 1,510 (2.5%), from 60,679 to 62,189. During this period, attendances increased by 992 (1.9%) at type 1 departments, 24 (0.7%) at type 2 departments and 494 (8.2%) at type 3 departments (table 2).

Position compared to same month last year (September 2014 and September 2015):

Between September 2014 and September 2015:

• The percentage of patients attending type 1 departments who were treated and discharged home, or admitted within four hours has decreased by 1.0 percentage point, from 75.7% to 74.7% (figure 4, table 4).
• The percentage of patients attending type 2 departments who were treated and discharged home, or admitted within four hours has increased by 1.3 percentage points, from 87.8% to 89.1% (figure 7, table 6).
• The percentage of patients attending type 3 departments who were treated and discharged home, or admitted within four hours continued to be almost 100.0% (table 8).
• The number of patients waiting longer than 12 hours has decreased from 256 to 67, with the Royal Victoria reporting the most notable improvement in performance, from 135 to 9 (table 9).
• Between September 2014 and September 2015, monthly attendances at emergency care departments increased by 934 (1.5%) from 61,255 to 62,189. During this period attendances increased at type 1 (2,235, 4.5%), but remained similar at type 2 and decreased at type 3 (1,297, 16.5%) departments (Figure 10, Table 9).

The statistical bulletin is published on the departmental website

Notes to editors: 

1. Information presented in this statistical bulletin report the total time spent in an emergency care department from arrival until admission, transfer or discharge for all new and unplanned review attendances at emergency care departments across Northern Ireland. The figures do not include planned review attendances.

2. Time is measured from when a patient arrives at the emergency care department (time of arrival is recorded at registration or triage whichever is earlier (clock starts)) until the patient departs the emergency care department (time of departure is defined as when the patient's clinical care episode is completed within the emergency care department (clock stops)).

3. Readers are advised to be cautious when making direct comparisons between Northern Ireland and other UK Jurisdictions as waiting times may not be measured in a comparable manner. It should also be noted that the way in which emergency care services are delivered differs between UK jurisdictions. This means that the number and types of patients included in the figures may differ between countries. In particular, the 12-hour waiting time information published by England and Northern Ireland is not equivalent and should not be compared. Further information on comparability between Northern Ireland and other UK Jurisdictions is detailed in Appendix 3 (page 47) of this statistical bulletin.

4. There are three separate categories of emergency care facility included in this publication:

• type 1 department a consultant-led service with designated accommodation for the reception of emergency care patients, providing both emergency medicine and emergency surgical services 24 hours a day
• type 2 department a consultant-led service with designated accommodation for the reception of emergency care patients, but which does not provide both emergency medicine and emergency surgical services and/or has time-limited opening hours
• type 3 department a minor injury unit with designated accommodation for the reception of patients with a minor injury and/or illness. It may be a doctor or nurse-led. A defining characteristic of this service is that it treats at least minor injuries and/or illnesses and can be routinely accessed without an appointment

5. Figures incorporate all returns and amendments received from health and social care trusts up to 23 October 2015.

6. The current Ministerial target for emergency care waiting times in 2015/16 states that: ‘95% of patients attending any type 1, 2 or 3 emergency care department are either treated and discharged home, or admitted, within four hours of their arrival in the department; and no patient attending any emergency care department should wait longer than 12 hours.’

7. Further information on emergency care statistics is available from Hospital Information Branch

8. Media queries to DHSSPS Press Office on 02890 520074, or out of office hours contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned. Follow us on Twitter @healthdpt

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