Northern Ireland hospital statistics: emergency care (2009/10)

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety today published statistics on activity at Emergency Care Departments within Northern Ireland during the year ending 31 March 2010.

The statistical bulletin presents information on all activity at emergency care departments in Northern Ireland during 2009/10, including information on new attendances, planned & unplanned review re-attendances, waiting times at emergency care departments, patient transport and emergency response.

Key Points

The key findings presented in the NI Hospital Statistics: Emergency Care publication are listed below.

• Between 2005/06 and 2009/10, the total number of attendances at emergency care departments increased by 4%, from 698,937 to 727,935 (Figure 1, Table 1).
• Over one in four (27%) attendances at emergency care departments during 2009/10 were in the Belfast HSC Trust (188,928) (Figures 2 and 3, Table 2).
• In 2009/10, 84% (585,458) of patients were either treated and discharged or admitted within four hours of their arrival in the emergency care department (Table 4).
• Between 2007/08 and 2009/10, the number of new and unplanned review attendances at emergency care departments waiting over 12 hours, more than tripled from 982 to 3,880 (Figure 8, Table 5).
• During 2009/10, 92% (3,580) of A&E attendances waiting more than12 hours were in Type 1 emergency care departments, with the remaining 8% (300) in Type 2 departments (Table 6).
• During the last five years, the proportion of category A (immediately life threatening) calls responded to within eight minutes has increased by 21 percentage points, from 51% in 2005/06 to 72% in 2009/10 (Figure 14, Table 9).

The information release is published on the Departmental website.

Notes to editors:

1. The information detailed in this publication is collected from a series of statistical returns (listed below) provided by HSC Trusts, Hospitals and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service:

• KH09(ii) – New and review (planned and unplanned) attendances at emergency care departments;
• EC1 – Waiting times at emergency care departments for new and unplanned review attendances; and,
• KA34 – Patient transport and emergency response.

2. All information has been validated with Health & Social Care Trusts and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, and incorporate all returns and amendments received up to 27th July 2010.

Further information on Emergency Care Statistics is available from:

Hospital Information Branch
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
Annexe 2, Castle Buildings
Stormont, BT4 3SQ

Tel: 028 90 522504
Fax: 028 90 523288
Email: mailto:hib.questions@dhsspsni.gov.uk
Internet: http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/stats_research/stats-activity_stats-2/hospital_statistics.htm

3. Media queries to DHSSPS Press Office on 028 90 520575 or for press enquiries out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.