17th September 2026
A dedicated area for walk-in patients at Craigavon Area Hospital’s Emergency Department is helping patients to be assessed sooner.
While pressures across urgent and emergency care services remain extremely high, staff continue to look for new ways to reduce delays and improve the patient experience.
One example is the Extended Emergency Medicine Ambulatory Care (EEMAC) area, introduced in May 2026 as part of the Southern Trust’s response to the regional Release to Rescue initiative.
To support this approach, the Emergency Department redesigned its Red Area to create a dedicated space for patients who do not require a bed while awaiting assessment and treatment.
The change created additional assessment space at a time when other areas of the department were increasingly being used to care for patients waiting for a hospital bed.
Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, EEMAC now cares for around 75 patients each day and provides additional assessment capacity within the Emergency Department.
Since its introduction, the average time from arrival to being seen by a clinician for walk-in patients has reduced from around 300 minutes in May to approximately 200 minutes in September.
The number of patients waiting more than 12 hours has also reduced.
Dr Paul McGarry, Clinical Lead for Emergency Medicine, said:
“We know attending the Emergency Department can be stressful, particularly when patients and families face long waits. We fully understand the frustration this can cause.
“EEMAC was introduced after staff identified the need for a dedicated area for patients who do not require a bed while awaiting assessment. Since opening, it has helped reduce waiting times to see a clinician and contributed to fewer very long waits.
“These improvements reflect the commitment of our nursing, medical and support teams. While there is more work to do, we are encouraged by the positive difference EEMAC is already making for patients.”
Mark McCrudden, Director of Medicine and Unscheduled Care, added:
“EEMAC is a great example of staff identifying a challenge and developing a practical solution that benefits patients.
“The new area is helping patients move through the Emergency Department more quickly and supporting wider efforts to reduce delays.
“We know waiting times remain too long for some patients and we are not underestimating the impact this has on patients, families and staff. As we prepare for winter, we will continue to build on these improvements and explore further opportunities to reduce delays and improve the patient experience.”
