11 March 2025

SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA has said an Audit Office report which found a “dramatic deterioration” in ambulance handover times underlines the current crisis.

It found over 11,000 of handovers in 2023/24 took longer than three hours, up from around 400 in 2019/20.

The ambulance service’s target is completing handovers within 15 minutes.

South Down MLA Mr McGrath said:

“This damning report from the Audit Office confirms what we’ve been seeing for months, with ambulances lined up outside hospital emergency departments. Staff are doing their best in increasingly difficult circumstances, but it’s clear that fundamental change within our health service will be needed to truly address these issues.

“There were potentially over 36,000 instances last year where patients may have been harmed by ambulance handover delays and around 3,800 where patients were potentially subject to severe harm. These figures are deeply shameful and show that in its current state our health service is unable to guarantee even the most basic standards of care. Behind each of these statistics is a vulnerable person being let down, with a direct impact on their health.

“Just last week the SDLP launched our ‘Help Can’t Wait’ plan to rescue the ambulance service and relieve pressure on emergency departments. I welcome the Health Minister’s willingness to engage with the proposals, but it’s clear that addressing this situation requires a drastic intervention, alongside an overall strategy for transforming the health service to ensure patients and their health isn’t negatively impacted by these delays.”