Antrim winter plan puts focus on same-day care and treatment at home

Same-day assessment and treatment at home feature in the Northern Trust’s preparations for winter pressure on hospitals and community services.

A regional announcement on Wednesday, 28 October, confirmed publication of winter surge plans across health and social care.

The Northern Trust’s detailed response records same-day emergency care at Antrim Area Hospital from Monday to Saturday and at Causeway Hospital from Monday to Friday.

Its Hospital at Home service operates in East Antrim, providing suitable patients with short-term acute care in their own homes or care homes.

The consultant-led service accepts referrals through several clinical routes. The Trust expects to deliver a commissioned caseload of eight to ten patients during winter.

A multidisciplinary care-home support team is also expected from November.

The plan acknowledges continuing difficulties elsewhere: mental-health inpatient demand has exceeded commissioned capacity for approximately two years.

These documents describe services, pressures and intended measures. They do not demonstrate that emergency waits have shortened or that all planned developments are operating.