AQW 24826/22-27


Ms Sian Mulholland
Alliance Party
North Antrim


Tabled Date: 21/03/2025
Answered On Date: 01/04/2025
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any measures being taken in the health service to reduce waiting times for treatment, particularly for disabled individuals and those with long-term health conditions that prevent them from working.


Answer:
The updated Elective Care Framework, published in May 2024, provides the strategic plan for the development and reform of elective care services over five years and details the measures needed to address long waiting lists. It aims to ensure that the Health and Social Care system is equipped to deliver an equitable, sustainable high-quality service for all individuals on a waiting list, including those with disabilities and long-term conditions.
Although much more work is needed, progress has already been made on the implementation of a number of actions outlined in the Framework, specifically to increase activity for treatment. This includes:
Continued development of elective care centres through regional Day Procedure Centres (DPCs) at Lagan Valley and Omagh Hospitals, orthopaedic day procedures at Duke of Connaught Unit at Musgrave Park Hospital and cataracts at Down, Mid-Ulster and South Tyrone Hospitals and elective Overnight Stay Centres (EOSCs) at Daisy Hill, Mater Infirmorum and South West Acute Hospitals.
Development of Post-Anaesthetic Care Units in Altnagelvin, Antrim Area, Belfast City, Craigavon Area and Royal Victoria Hospitals.
Continued expansion of Rapid Diagnostic Centres at South Tyrone and Whiteabbey Hospitals and the use of mega clinics across all Trusts.
Continued programme of Service Reviews across a number of specialties to drive forward ongoing improvements, including reviews of orthopaedics, paediatric orthopaedics, gynaecology, urology, general surgery, neurology and stroke.
Work will continue in these areas to build on the good work to date and maximise capacity as far as possible to ensure timely treatment for patients. However, to meet the current demand / capacity gap an additional £80m per year recurrently is required. Without this investment our unacceptably long waiting lists will continue to grow. In addition, £135m per year for up to five years is required to address our elective care waiting list backlog. Unfortunately, under the 2024/25 Budget, as agreed by a majority of MLAs, no additional funding was provided for tackling our waiting lists.