A HOSPITAL boss said a rise in the number of patients with Covid-19, coupled with a high number of 'bed blockers' - patients who are medically fit but cannot be discharged - were two reasons behind the long waits.

Mr Moloney said: “Over the past few days we have started to see a rise in the number of patients with Covid-19, which makes managing beds and flow through the hospital more difficult.

"As with all trusts up and down the country we also have some patients who are medically fit but cannot be discharged for complex reasons and overall, there is a regular, high demand for our accident and emergency service.

“We prioritise the people who are in the greatest need of urgent care and are very sick, but this does mean some then have to wait longer – and in some cases this has been more than 12 hours – if they are attending A&E for more minor injuries and conditions.

“We continue to work closely with our partners across the health and social care sector to make sure only those patients who really need to be in hospital are those who are in a hospital bed at the trust.

"That way we can make sure we treat and admit or discharge people from A&E as quickly and safely as possible.”