Nurses in Northern Ireland had one of the most pressurised winters “they had ever experienced”, according to the executive director of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Northern Ireland.
Rita Devlin told Nursing Times that staff had been “struggling to meet demand” during the winter months as the system was working beyond capacity.
“It is vital that we maintain momentum and that we grasp this opportunity to reshape how we approach winter pressures moving forward”
Rita Devlin
Her comments came after a workshop was held last week by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, to bring together key healthcare leaders to better plan for upcoming winters.
Invitees to the workshop included senior Health and Social Care trust and department officials, as well as professional bodies representing health service clinical staff, and representatives from the independent care sector.
It was the first of four workshops that will inform the next winter plan, which the department has aimed to finalise and publish in the summer.
Ms Devlin told Nursing Times that she welcomed the efforts by the government to address some of the key challenges in planning for winter pressures.
She added: “Solutions to system pressures are required now or there is no doubt that we’ll end up in the same position as before.
“It’s now time to start making decisions. These may be difficult decisions, but we simply cannot return to where we were in December.”
Ms Devlin recounted how nurses in Northern Ireland had reported “one of the most pressurised winters they had ever experienced” this year.
She said: “Patients were waiting in emergency departments for lengthy times for treatment, and staff were struggling to meet demand.
“This was as a result of a system that has been working well beyond capacity and running at breaking point for far too long.”
As nurses were delivering the majority of direct patient care, she said the toll of trying to work in this environment had left staff “completely burnt out”.
Ms Devlin said she hoped the four workshops being held by the department would enable leaders to “gain a clearer understanding of what actions are needed” to address issues like corridor care and overcrowded wards.
Rita Devlin
She added: “Nursing plays a crucial role in solving many of these problems.
“It is vital that we maintain momentum and that we grasp this opportunity to reshape how we approach winter pressures moving forward.”
Ahead of the first workshop, health minister Mike Nesbitt said the learning from recent months would help shape planning for future winters, with the aim of improving patient and staff experiences.
“While there are intensive pressures on services all year round, there is no doubt that the experiences in recent months have been particularly difficult,” said Mr Nesbitt.
“Today is an opportunity to explore the challenges we have faced, the root causes of these challenges and the impact on our workforce and on the patients.
Mike Nesbitt
“It is very important that we identify all the hurdles that are getting in the way of improved patient flow through hospitals and work together as a system to address them as effectively as possible.”
Mr Nesbitt noted that the department had to be “realistic about what is attainable within the immediate future”, especially in the current financial context.
He added: “I am certain that there is more that can be done within available resources.
“That is what today is about – ensuring winter planning will receive sustained attention and collective action from the whole health and social care system.”
