Northern Ireland

Belfast Trust launches phone service to alleviate capacity issues in A&E

The Phone First service will be effective from January 9.

Belfast Trust has launched a phone service to deal with ‘capacity issues’ in emergency departments
Belfast Trust has launched a phone service to deal with ‘capacity issues’ in emergency departments (Liam McBurney/PA)
By Claudia Savage, PA

A phone service to deal with “capacity issues” in emergency departments has been launched by health chiefs in Belfast.

The Phone First service is targeted at adult patients with minor injuries and will be effective from Tuesday January 9.

Belfast Trust said the capacity issues have resulted in longer waits for patients with minor injuries.

The emergency department at the Royal Victoria Hospital in the city had an average wait time of more than six hours on Thursday, according to NI Direct.

Patients who have minor injuries should call 02896 159 444 to be triaged by phone before being advised of the next steps to take.

The Phone First service has been operational across Northern, Southern and Western health trusts.

The service will operate 8am-6pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). Patients who require care outside these hours should attend the emergency department or call the GP out-of-hours service.