A warning has been issued as emergency departments in Belfast are "exceptionally busy" on New Year's Day.
The Belfast Trust took to social media on the first day of 2023, to highlight that anyone attending the emergency departments at the Royal Victoria Hospital and Mater Hospital "may have a very long wait to be seen."
They added: "Please only attend an Emergency Department if your condition is urgent and needs immediate attention. Please consider using alternative services www.nidirect.gov.uk "
Read more: Medics treat patients in back of ambulances due to 'extreme pressure' at ED
The Trust also issued an urgent appeal this afternoon asking for staff to cover extra shifts to help across critical areas as demand soars.
In the Western Trust, the emergency department at Altnagelvin Hospital is also busy today, with over 94 people waiting in the ED and over 47 very sick people are awaiting admission to hospital for further treatment at 11am.
It comes as the Ulster Hospital emergency department was under "extreme pressure" yesterday, with 133 patients in the department and 77 awaiting admission at 5pm on December 31.
On Friday, extreme pressure at the Causeway Hospital's emergency department led to medical staff treating patients in ambulances outside the hospital.
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