Storm Éowyn: NI Health Minister issues update ahead of storm's expected arrival

Northern Ireland's Health Minister has said the Health and Social Care system is planning for significant disruption to services on Friday due to the impact of Storm Éowyn.

Mike Nesbitt said: “I would urge people to follow the advice of the police and to stay home and stay safe until this major storm passes through.

“The key focus of the Health and Social Care system is on maintaining safe services for acutely unwell patients within our inpatient facilities and protecting urgent and emergency care.

“All parts of the health service are working hard on contingency planning and in providing vital services for those who are most vulnerable. Patients with GP appointments, booked for tomorrow, who have not already been contacted by their Practice, should phone their GP Practice for advice before making a decision to travel. "

He went on to outline however that services will remain for those most in need:

“Urgent and Emergency Care services will remain open as normal. Given the advice not to travel patients are encouraged to use the Phone First Service for their local HSC Trust before travelling to an Emergency Department.

“Of course, you should not hesitate to call 999 if you or someone you care for is experiencing a life-threatening emergency.

“The message to patients and service users is that they should assume any scheduled appointments and planned procedures are cancelled unless contacted by the Trust to advise otherwise. If your appointment is affected, Trust staff will be in touch to reschedule as soon as possible. I want to reassure patients, particularly those with the most serious conditions, that they will receive new appointments as soon as possible.”

It is expected that the severe disruption tomorrow will have an impact on services over the next few days.