Hospital Patients Waiting Almost 14 Weeks For Discharge

PATIENTS across Northern Ireland can languish in hospital beds for almost 14 weeks, despite being fit enough to be discharged.

While the average waits for discharge across Northern are on average just a couple of days, Minister for Health, Michelle O’Neill revealed in an Assembly Written Answer.

Lord Morrow had asked for the average wait for discharge and the maximum wait.

Ms O’Neill said that the Department of Health targets were that 90% of complex discharges should be out of hospital within 48 hours.

The best performing health trust area was the Southern Trust, with the worst in Belfast and South Eastern Trusts.

Complex discharges are defined as those requiring significant community or home based services.