EXCLUSIVE: Crunch talks on NI health crisis
Talks are due to take place at Stormont today to address Northern Ireland's health crisis, Downtown Cool FM can exclusively reveal.
Last updated 18th Jan 2018
It's understood MLAs and top Health Service officials will meet at Parliament Buildings to discuss a number of urgent issues.
Top of the agenda will be the winter pressures in our hospitals.
It comes after a 4% rise in the number of patients attending Emergency Departments over the Christmas and New year period.
Earlier this week, the head of the Royal College of Nursing in Northern Ireland, Janice Smyth called for a contingency plan.
Mrs Smyth warned without urgent action, the current health crisis would reach catastrophic levels.
"We don't have enough nurses, we have too many patients, we have no services in the community," Mrs Smyth said.
"Why when we know that our population is growing and we know every year the attendances at our Emergency Departments are going up and then we get surprised this year when it's up 4%?
"It's not a surprise, there is a raft of planners working on our system who know exactly the needs of the population," she added.
Mrs Smyth also revealed the extent of the staffing shortages in Northern Ireland:
"There are 1500 registered nurse vacancies short and within the nursing home sector there's probably, at least that.
"So we're looking at, probably needing about 3000 nurses."
The organisation called for crunch talks to implement a contingency plan or emergency measures to deal with the current crisis.
"If we don't transform the services that we've got it will not be able to continue the way it is for another year.
"It absolutely will not and we have made that very clear to people.
"Now there's not too many people that will say it that bluntly but if you go and ask any nurse that is working in our services, that's what they'll tell you."
Politicians here will be briefed today on the extent of the problem in emergency departments across the province.
The all-party group will also look at current funding pressures and consider a long term plan to transform the health service.