Health department defends A&E action plan despite outcry

Despite the outcry after two women over the age of 100 spent over 24 hours on hospital trolleys, the Department of Health has defended its plan to tackle overcrowding in emergency departments.

The department said the initial focus was on getting community beds opened to reduce the number of people who had finished the acute part of their hospital care but could not be discharged.

“Extra resources are in the process of being provided. The overcrowding problem is very complicated and cannot be solved simply by providing more beds,” said a spokesperson said.