By 1 December, there will be no ambulance handover delays in excess of two hours outside emergency departments
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has said his department is working with Health and Social Care Trusts to tackle ambulance handover delays and ease pressure on hospital emergency departments ahead of the winter months.
Responding to a written Assembly question from Sinn Féin MLA Cathy Mason, Mr Nesbitt said his department “recognises the challenges faced by Emergency Departments” and is implementing a series of actions to improve patient flow and reduce waiting times.
The Minister said a range of targeted initiatives are already in place, including the expansion of Urgent Care Centres, Phone First services and Minor Injury Units, to provide patients with “timely alternatives” to attending EDs.
Minister Nesbitt confirmed that 18 additional emergency medicine consultants have recently been appointed across Northern Ireland, with a further 10 expected to complete their training by December 2025. These extra posts, he said, would “provide further resilience and senior decision-making capacity” in emergency departments during the winter period.
Mr Nesbitt added that a series of “winter planning workshops” had been held with key health leaders to identify ways of tackling waiting times and improving system-wide flow. “I attended the first of these events on 4 March 2025 and was encouraged by the engagement and enthusiasm from HSC leaders across the system,” he said.
The Department of Health is also finalising a new Ambulance Handover guidance plan, developed with the Strategic Planning and Performance Group, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, and Trusts. The plan draws on lessons from the London Ambulance Service and King George Hospital, where significant progress has been made in reducing delays.
Under the first phase of the Northern Ireland plan, Trusts have agreed to ensure that by 1 December there will be no ambulance handover delays in excess of two hours outside emergency departments. This will be followed by a move towards meeting the national 15-minute handover target.
“All Trusts have committed to putting measures in place to improve ambulance handover delays,” Mr Nesbitt said. “Ultimately, all of these measures are aimed at improving flow throughout the hospital, reducing ambulance handover times and congestion in our EDs, and improving waiting times.”
The minister said he intends to publish a Winter Preparedness Plan “in the coming weeks”, setting out further steps to manage pressures across the health service.
“These efforts are part of a broader system-wide approach to ensure patients receive timely, safe, and effective care, both within EDs and across the wider health and social care system,” he added.
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