Belfast hospital sent patients needing heart surgery to Scotland

In September it was reported that at the end of June, nearly 50,000 people were waiting for in-patient hospital treatment. Of these, 6,000 had been waiting for more than 18 months, breaching the Patients' Charter guidelines.

In comparison, at that time no patients on waiting lists in England had been waiting more than 18 months for treatment.

Some boards even sent patients out of Northern Ireland for heart or orthopaedic surgery because of lengthy waiting lists.

In October, there were 600 people waiting for heart surgery at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital - many for more than a year - and the number was increasing.

South Tyrone was closed as an acute hospital in August

In August, the South Tyrone in Dungannon finally closed as an acute hospital after a long-running process of having its services downgraded as part of the then Department of Health's plan to centralise acute services to nine hospitals.

It was left only providing services such as day surgery, diagnostic tests and outpatient clinics.

There was criticism of the level of services left in the Armagh-Tyrone area following the closure of acute services at South Tyrone, and their transfer to Craigavon Area Hospital in Armagh.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Ken Maginnis said that he saw patients having to sleep in corridors at Craigavon hospital because there were not enough beds in wards.

In October, Craigavon hospital was warning that it might have to lay off up to 60 nurses and 40 medical and support staff and close two 36-bed wards to help it out of a cash crisis.

By October many operations were being delayed at some hospitals because of a severe shortage of beds and an increase in emergency pressures, in a situation which the British Medical Association described as "grim".

The Jubilee maternity unit was closed in May

Dr Jim McFarland, clinical director at the Ulster Hospital at Dundonald, on the eastern outskirts of Belfast, said it was a daily occurrence for patients in his hospital to be left lying on trolleys while efforts were made to find them a bed.

In May, the Jubilee maternity unit at Belfast City Hospital was closed, following a decision by health minister Bairbre de Brun.

This decision was later criticised by the courts in November in a ruling that challenged the minister's plan to centralise maternity services at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

The health minister also asked the chairman of Belfast's Mater Hospital - one of Northern Ireland's smallest - to carry out a review of acute hospital services across the province.

Dr Maurice Hayes, who stood down from his position at the Mater, is to report before Easter. He is being assisted in his task by a handful of people from inside and outside the NHS.