THERE were calls last night for the health service to "urgently address" staffing issues within the hospital system facing "huge pressures" and currently operating over capacity.
Serious concerns were raised about the impact of the ongoing situation with significant pressures at several hospitals across the north in recent days.
Amid pressures usually associated with winter months, new figures reveal the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen was yesterday currently operating at 123 per cent of its capacity.
Other statistics show the overall hospital system is operating at 105 per cent of capacity - 176 beds beyond capacity. It is understood some pressures are caused by staff sickness and the ongoing impact of Covid-19.
It comes as the Northern Health and Social Care Trust yesterday warned that two of its hospital emergency departments - Antrim Area Hospital and the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine - were "under extreme pressure".
It said there were "77 very sick patients awaiting beds across both hospitals".
It came just a day after the Western Health and Social Care Trust also issued a plea for people not to attend without serious conditions after staff at the South West Acute Hospital faced high demand at its emergency department.
Sinn Féin's Colm Gildernew last night said it was "very concerning" that our hospitals are experiencing pressures "we normally see during the winter period"
"It is crucial that the Department of Health bring forward a plan to urgently address the workforce issues," he said.
"It is also vital that we see the Executive restored urgently following the election to enable us to put in place a budget to address the issues in our health and social care system."
The SDLP 's Adam Gannon said the "huge pressures" facing the north's other A&E units were "seriously concerning".
"While 123 per cent is an eye-watering figure, behind this statistic will be people desperately in need of medical care and unable to access it," he said.
"Many of our health staff are already at breaking point having just come through the worst of the coronavirus pandemic and it’s simply impossible to cope with such huge demand at our current staffing levels."
Mr Gannon added: "We need to see an immediate intervention to reduce the pressure on our hospitals and get people the treatment they need so we can go about introducing the long overdue reforms that our health service has been crying out for".
