Patients are being advised not to attend “hospital or community services” appointments in the Southern Trust today.
It comes after confirmation of “significant issues” with the Trust’s IT systems.
These are currently impacting services.
As a result, the Trust has advised: “Ambulance diverts have been put in place whilst work continues to further investigate and resolve the issues.
“We are prioritising emergency and critically ill patients at this time.
“Any other patients should not come to their appointments at any hospital or community services today until further notice.
“We ask that people avoid coming to our hospitals and other sites but visiting a patient is still possible.
“Further updates will be provided in due course.”
SDLP opposition health spokesperson, Colin McGrath MLA, has expressed his concern at the outage: “While the details of what has happened will cause understandable concern, it is essential that the Trust work to reassure the public. Patients should not be left feeling frightened or uncertain about their care. Where appointments have been lost or delayed, the Trust must act quickly to ensure that these are rescheduled without undue wait.
“Clear and consistent communication with the public is essential. People deserve to know exactly what has happened, how it affects them, and what steps are being taken to put things right. That openness is the best way to maintain confidence in our health system.
“I will be raising this issue directly with the Health Minister to ensure that the necessary actions are taken swiftly and that this type of disruption is not repeated. Patients and families rely on our health service in times of greatest need, and they must be able to trust that it will be there for them when required.”
Newry & Armagh MLA Justin McNulty added: “This IT outage creates chaos and concern for patients in Newry and right across the Southern Trust Area. People awaiting important treatments have had their appointments cancelled, while ambulances are being diverted. Naturally this is causing real worry and distress for those affected.
“In the midst of this turmoil I hope that people can remain calm as work goes on to resolve this issue. Large numbers of people have been impacted by this incident and it’s important that we work to understand how this has happened and ensure systems are put in place to prevent a repeat in future.”
Alliance MLA Eoin Tennyson said: “My thoughts are first and foremost with patients, families, and staff who are under enormous pressure. Clear, timely communication is essential to ensure people know what services are affected and where they can safely turn for help.
“Alliance will be seeking assurances that everything possible is being done to restore systems quickly, protect patient safety, and prevent similar failures in future.
“In the meantime, please follow the official advice from the Southern Trust and only attend in emergencies.”
