Emergency nurses fear human rights breaches will not be acted on

A landmark inquiry into emergency healthcare in Northern Ireland has found evidence of human rights breaches, including patients being made to wait too long for pain relief, food or fluids.

The findings were published as the latest government figures revealed the number of patients waiting more than 12 hours for treatment at Northern Ireland’s major acute hospitals increased by one-third from March 2014 to March 2015, from 408 to 611.

The inquiry, the first of its kind, was conducted by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) and launched last year amid concerns that emergency departments (EDs) are struggling to cope with demand.

It also uncovered cases where treatment and care did not respect dignity or privacy and interactions with staff showed a lack of kindness. However, it found no evidence that violations were systemic in EDs.

A report of the findings makes 26 recommendations, including that the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) should develop dedicated ED minimum care standards, rooted in human rights.

It also calls for the four-hour ED waiting time target to be reviewed.

Chair of RCN Northern Ireland’s Emergency Care Association Roisin Devlin said the report ‘reiterated what we have been saying for a long time – patients are not getting the care they deserve’.

Ms Devlin said the Health and Social Care Board and trusts need to address the way the healthcare system works as a whole to relieve pressures on EDs.

The DHSSPS said it was not complacent about the issues raised in the report but pointed out that the NIHRC is not the statutory authority responsible for inspecting health and social care services in Northern Ireland.

Ms Devlin added that she fears nothing will change. ‘I can’t help thinking how many of these reports do we need before action is taken and something changes.’

To read the report go to Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's website