NI Ambulance Service treats more than 63,000 incidents without hospital transfer as winter pressures loom
L-R: Neil Sinclair, Chief Paramedic Officer, Michelle Estler, DoH, Jenny Keane, NIAS Chief Executive, Health Minister Robbie Butler, and Michele Larmour NIAS Chair.
Wednesday 21 October 2026
More than 63,000 incidents handled by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) were resolved without patients needing to be taken to hospital during 2025/26, highlighting the growing importance of alternative approaches to emergency care as the health service prepares for another demanding winter.
New figures show that 44,064 incidents were resolved through the service’s ‘See and Treat’ model, while a further 19,612 were dealt with through clinical advice provided over the telephone under its ‘Hear and Treat’ system.
The approaches allow ambulance clinicians to assess and treat patients without an unnecessary journey to an Emergency Department (ED), helping to reduce pressure on hospitals while ensuring patients receive care appropriate to their needs.
How the ambulance service is changing emergency care
Under the ‘Hear and Treat’ model, experienced clinicians working within the Emergency Operations Centre assess patients over the telephone and provide clinical advice where an ambulance response is not required.
The ‘See and Treat’ approach allows ambulance clinicians attending an incident to assess and treat patients at the scene, with some patients safely discharged without being transported to hospital.
The 44,064 incidents resolved through ‘See and Treat’ accounted for close to a quarter of incidents requiring either clinical assessment or an operational response during 2025/26.
Together, the two models resolved 63,676 incidents without hospital transfer, demonstrating their contribution to managing demand across Northern Ireland’s emergency care system.
Minister visits ambulance service ahead of winter
Health Minister Robbie Butler highlighted the work during a visit to NIAS headquarters at Knockbracken in Belfast, where he met staff and observed the Integrated Clinical Hub and the service’s triage arrangements.
The Minister also visited the Emergency Operations Centre, where emergency calls are received, assessed and prioritised, with ambulances dispatched according to patients’ clinical needs.
Mr Butler said:
“I was delighted to visit NIAS today and see all the outstanding work they do, often in very challenging circumstances, to deliver care for people across Northern Ireland.
“We know there is increasing demand for Health and Social Care (HSC) services, including on our ambulance service and particularly on our EDs as we approach the busy winter period. It is impressive to see the innovative ways that NIAS staff are working to try to manage this demand by ensuring people get the right care, at the right time, in the right place.”
Explaining the benefits of the alternative approaches, he added:
“One way that NIAS clinicians are working to reduce demand is through the ‘Hear and Treat’ and ‘See and Treat’ models. Clinicians can assess patients via telephone, or in person at the scene, provide treatment and discharge them safely, without the patient ever having to attend hospital.
“This is a clear example of my vision for health care, treating people closer to home and reducing pressure across the system. I want to take this opportunity to thank NIAS staff for the fantastic work they do all year round.”
Ambulance chief warns of wider health service pressures
While the figures demonstrate the contribution of alternative care models, NIAS Chief Executive Jenny Keane warned that pressures across the wider health and social care system continue to affect the ambulance service’s ability to respond as quickly as the public expects.
Welcoming the Minister’s visit, Ms Keane said:
“In many ways, NIAS is a service that brings the hospital to the patient, and we have developed innovative ways of working to make sure that those patients who call us when they are, perhaps, at their most vulnerable, receive the most appropriate clinical care to best suit their needs.”
She emphasised the challenges facing frontline teams as demand for emergency care continues.
“NIAS is a progressive ambulance service, and we will continue to search for ways to further improve our service. But we must accept that challenges across Health and Social Care impact on our ability to deliver in the timely manner which the public expect. We will continue to triage, based on clinical need and deliver the fastest response we can, delivering the highest levels of clinical care.”
Preparing for increased winter demand
The figures underline the role of ambulance clinicians in providing care beyond the traditional emergency response and hospital transfer, particularly as Northern Ireland approaches a period of increased pressure on health services.
For patients across Ballymena, Mid and East Antrim and the wider region, the models mean that some emergency calls can be resolved through telephone advice or treatment at the scene, where clinicians determine that hospital attendance is unnecessary.
However, the service continues to face the wider pressures affecting emergency care, with responses prioritised according to clinical need.
As winter approaches, the challenge for NIAS will be to maintain timely emergency responses while continuing to provide safe alternatives to hospital attendance for patients who do not require it.
