Speaking after the visit, she said: 

"I cannot commend our incredible healthcare workforce enough. From frontline staff to cleaners, porters, and those working behind the scenes in hospitals, communities, pharmacies, and surgeries, their commitment is nothing short of remarkable. Watching them operate in such challenging conditions is both humbling and inspiring. It also reinforces how much more they could achieve if the system around them was functioning as it should.

The discussions focused on the flow of patients through the hospital, with long waiting times and corridor care highlighted as the most pressing concerns. These issues are significantly affected by delays in discharging medically fit patients, who are often unable to leave hospital due to a lack of care packages or suitable placements.” 

Carla added, "Families regularly raise with me the distressing impact of these delays, and it’s clear that solutions are urgently needed. We explored the successes of the Acute Care at Home teams, which are delivering positive results, but there is an urgent need for further investment in domiciliary care. At present, there are 700 outstanding care packages, even as 4,700 are being delivered daily. This shortfall is creating bottlenecks that affect the entire healthcare system.

Creating capacity for new admissions by safely discharging patients remains one of the biggest challenges facing the hospital.

The meeting was both insightful and thought-provoking. Touring the Emergency Department and Ambulance Hub, and learning about some of the pilot initiatives, highlighted both the innovative solutions being tested and the need to return to the basics. Communication is absolutely vital, particularly in ensuring families feel supported—especially when they are tasked with bringing complex patients home to start care in the community.

Concluding she said; "We cannot continue limping along in a system that fails too many people. A functioning healthcare system is not a luxury—it is a necessity. With the right focus, changes can and must be made. I will along with my DUP colleagues continue to raise these issues with the Minister and push for the solutions that our health service so urgently needs."