Northern Ireland's emergency departments failed to meet Department of Health targets for seeing patients within four hours or 12 hours during January, February, and March 2026.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine stated that doctors must prioritise among very sick patients due to pressures. RCEM Northern Ireland vice president Dr Michael Perry said staff work in a difficult environment that complicates their jobs and leads to high nursing staff turnover. He called for a long-term plan to address the ongoing crisis and urged policymakers to enable staff to perform their duties.

DoH statistics showed more than 72,000 attendances last month. Patients admitted to hospital wards spent three times longer in EDs than those treated and discharged. Average wait for admission at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry reached 21.5 hours last month. Causeway Hospital in Coleraine recorded waits over 20 hours for admissions.

Dr Perry noted that a multi-year budget from the Northern Ireland Executive would support planning to resolve issues, as none has been agreed in over a decade. He said Northern Ireland performs worse than other UK areas on ED waits.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt acknowledged immense pressure on ED staff and pledged support within available resources. He stated no quick fixes exist and a whole-system approach plus long-term investment are required. His department recently funded recruitment of additional ED consultants to boost patient flow.

Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly highlighted a 14 percent rise in patients waiting over 12 hours. He pressed for faster integration of emergency, community, and social care to discharge medically fit patients and free capacity.