COVID-19: Ambulance delays treble as Northern Ireland battles UK's highest coronavirus case rate
Some patients are waiting up to six hours to be admitted and one hospital has already had to divert ambulances to other emergency departments.
Sunday 28 November 2021 06:35, UK
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) is warning that waiting times have trebled as the country battles the highest COVID infection rate in the UK.
Some patients are waiting up to six hours to be admitted and one hospital has already had to divert ambulances to other emergency departments.
Dr Nigel Ruddell, medical director of the NIAS, said: "We're bringing these patients in as emergencies and ideally, we want them into hospital to start getting their definitive treatment as quickly as possible.
"If we're waiting sometimes up to six hours or more outside a hospital emergency department, then clearly that treatment is being delayed.
"In terms of our staff, they are constantly worried about those other patients out in the community who are awaiting on an ambulance response and that response has been significantly delayed."
Northern Ireland currently has the UK's highest COVID infection rate.
The UK government's dashboard shows that cases took off in Northern Ireland in the first week of November, rising from around 420 for every 100,000 people to just under 600 - a rise of more than 40% in a fortnight.
By comparison, the case rate in Wales is currently around 500 per 100,000; in England and Scotland, it is lower still at roughly 400.
But the chief medical officer Sir Michael McBride said there's no single explanation for the rise, although it could be related to a relaxation in restrictions.
On 31 October - Halloween party night - ministers allowed nightclubs in Northern Ireland to reopen and ended social distancing rules that had limited capacity in pubs and restaurants.
A few weeks later and fresh work from home advice has been issued, with ministers urging people to limit their social contacts and wear face coverings in crowded or indoor settings.
On Tuesday, deputy first minister Michelle O'Neill said that the measures were the best chance of avoiding further restrictions in the weeks ahead.
Meanwhile, a COVID certificate system for hospitality businesses is being rolled out next week.
Under the compulsory certification scheme, people wishing to gain entry to designated venues would need to demonstrate evidence of vaccination, a negative lateral flow test result, or proof of a coronavirus infection within the previous six months.
Businesses which are non-compliant face fines from 13 December.
Sir Michael said: "I think it's always tempting to say [the rise in cases is] down to one thing or another, I think it's down to a combination.
"It's down to a combination of the relaxations at the end of October... and us not following the advice all of the time in terms of keeping our contacts to minimum, working from home where we can, wearing face coverings and most importantly, getting the vaccine."
Fewer people are vaccinated in Northern Ireland in comparison with the rest of the UK but Stormont's debating of a vaccine passport scheme has prompted a surge.
Around 79% of people in Northern Ireland over 12 have had two vaccine doses and around 21% have had a booster.
In the rest of the UK, 80-82% have had two jabs and 27-30% have had a top-up to their immunity.
At the Head of the Road pub in County Armagh, they are concerned about the policy and say hospitality is paying for someone else's problem.
Landlord John Lawson said: "I think we're seen to be an easy target. We're the one that gets sacrificed all the time and I just don't understand why.
"They kept giving us restrictions and told us we had to do this, we had to do that, industry complied and it's still not enough.
"So is the problem hospitality or is the problem a health service that's not fit for purpose?"
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On Monday, health minister Robin Swann told the Assembly that some hospitality venues may be asked to close their doors over Christmas if COVID cases continue to increase.
Northern Ireland's case rate is on a par with Germany's and further restrictions there have fuelled speculation that the same could happen at home. But comparisons between countries are problematic.
There is far more testing in Northern Ireland, for example, and that makes projections more reliable, so authorities insist a lockdown is not inevitable.