NI Ambulance Service resolves over 63,000 incidents through alternative care
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service resolved more than 63,000 incidents through alternative models of care during 2025/26, according to figures released by the Department of Health.
The figures were highlighted as Health Minister Robbie Butler visited the Ambulance Service headquarters at Knockbracken in Belfast on Wednesday 21 October.
The Minister met staff and observed services designed to help patients receive appropriate treatment without automatically requiring an ambulance journey to hospital.
The visit comes as Northern Ireland’s health service prepares for increased demand during the winter months.
More than 44,000 incidents resolved through See and Treat
The Department confirmed that 44,064 incidents were resolved through the Ambulance Service’s See and Treat model during 2025/26.
This represents close to 25% of incidents requiring either clinical assessment or an operational response.
Under the model, clinicians assess and treat patients at the scene where appropriate, allowing them to remain at home or in their community rather than attend an emergency department.
A further 19,612 incidents were resolved through Hear and Treat.
This service allows clinicians working within the Emergency Operations Centre to assess patients by telephone and provide clinical advice without dispatching an ambulance when it is safe to do so.
Together, the two approaches resolved 63,676 incidents during the financial year.
Health Minister highlights pressure on emergency services
During his visit, Mr Butler acknowledged the challenges facing Ambulance Service staff as demand increases across health and social care.
He said the approaches demonstrated how patients could receive appropriate treatment while reducing unnecessary pressure on emergency departments.
The Minister praised staff for their dedication and highlighted the importance of providing care closer to home.
He also visited the Emergency Operations Centre, where emergency calls are received, assessed and prioritised before ambulances are dispatched.
Ambulance Service prepares for winter demand
Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Chief Executive Jenny Keane welcomed the Minister to the organisation’s headquarters.
She highlighted the importance of providing patients with the most appropriate clinical response based on their individual circumstances.
Ms Keane said the Ambulance Service continued to develop new ways of working but acknowledged that pressures across the wider health and social care system affected its ability to respond as quickly as the public expected.
She confirmed that the service would continue prioritising patients according to clinical need.
Reducing unnecessary hospital attendance
The Hear and Treat and See and Treat models are intended to ensure patients receive suitable care without automatically being taken to hospital.
The approaches can help reduce unnecessary ambulance journeys and emergency department attendance while allowing resources to be directed towards patients with the greatest clinical need.
The Department of Health said the Minister’s visit highlighted the work being undertaken by ambulance clinicians to manage increasing demand.
The announcement comes as health services across Northern Ireland prepare for the additional pressures traditionally associated with winter.
External links:
Department of Health Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
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