A look behind the scenes of the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) Emergency Department (ED) shows that more than 700 people attended the ED in seven days.

Data released to the Impartial Reporter from the Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust) shows a busy ED with 717 arrivals in one week.

A total of 736 people were seen by the ED at the SWAH from April 24 to April 30, with this figure including those who were in the ED prior to Monday, April 24.

The data shows just a snapshot of the pressures faced by one of the hospital’s vital departments.

Data from Monday, April 24 to Sunday, April 30 shows that of those 736 that attended that week, 55 per cent – or 405 people – of those who attended were seen within four hours. The data shows that 57 per cent of attendees were triaged within 15 minutes.

Of the 736 attendees, 213 people waited between four and eight hours to be seen in the SWAH ED.

The busiest day of the week from Monday, April 24 to Sunday, April 30, was the Monday, when 124 people arrived at the SWAH ED.

The lowest number of arrivals was recorded on April 26 and 27, with 93 people arriving each day.

However, the data shows that of those 736 total attendances, around 10 per cent waited for more than 12 hours to be seen.

Of those 736 people treated in the SWAH ED from April 24 to April 30, 112 people were admitted to the hospital.