To ask the Minister of Health whether any assessment has been made of the impact of delayed discharges within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust on patient flow through the Emergency Department at Causeway Area Hospital.

I recognise that delayed discharges can impact patient flow within hospitals, including through the Emergency Department (ED) at Causeway Area Hospital, and this remains an ongoing focus for my Department and the Northern Health and Social Care Trust.

The Northern Trust monitors patient flow at Causeway Area Hospital through established indicators such as ED waiting times, patients waiting over 12 hours, bed occupancy, and data on delayed discharges, including reasons for and length of delay. This information is used to assess system pressures and the extent to which discharge delays impact flow from ED.

While it is not possible to fully isolate the impact of delayed discharges from other pressures such as demand and workforce constraints, reduced discharge capacity is known to contribute to higher bed occupancy, limiting the Trust’s ability to admit patients promptly and contributing to ED overcrowding and extended waits.

In 2025/26, £12 million of repurposed funding was allocated regionally to support Unscheduled Care Improvement Plans. In the Northern Trust, this supported additional capacity, investment in Hospital at Home, enhanced frailty assessment, and strengthened discharge coordination and community support. Further targeted measures included enhanced senior nursing in EDs, frailty in-reach, early intervention teams, anticipatory care planning, and increased Same Day Emergency Care activity to reduce avoidable admissions and pressure on inpatient beds.

Performance and delivery continue to be monitored through established oversight arrangements. While these actions have supported active management of pressures, performance reflects the ongoing imbalance between demand and available capacity, reinforcing the need for sustained action to improve patient flow and discharge capacity within the Northern Trust.