McCarthy Says Waiting Times Must Be Key Priority

ALLIANCE  Health Spokesperson Kieran McCarthy MLA has said that the Health Minister Edwin Poots must address waiting times as a matter of urgency. His comments come after news that a 75-year-old man had to wait for 21 hours for a bed in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast after being admitted on Tuesday. He said,  “It is absolutely appalling that an older person has had to wait for this length of time for a bed. We need to see urgent action from the Health Minister to ensure that a wait like this does not happen again. “I am very shocked at news of such a lengthy wait and this is simply unacceptable. This wait is particularly troubling given the fact that there are also a number of other hospitals nearby, and there must be no repeat of this. “Our healthcare service staff do excellent work but they need they more support and resourcing to ensure that waiting times can be addressed.” ]]>