AQO 2027/22-27


Mr Andrew McMurray
Alliance Party
South Down


Tabled Date: 08/05/2025
Answered On Date: 20/05/2025
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health whether there will be targeted plans for patients that have waited on a treatment waiting list for two years or more but cannot afford the upfront costs of the Waiting List Reduction Reimbursement Scheme.


Answer:
The Waiting List Reduction Reimbursement Scheme is one of several initiatives being funded to start tackling the backlog of patients awaiting assessment and treatment.
Tackling the waiting list backlog will initially focus on patients waiting over four years for assessment or treatment. Building the workforce and infrastructure required to sustainably reduce the length of time patients are waiting will take time. Independent sector support will be required to achieve this through both insourcing and outsourcing across a range of specialties including Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, General Surgery, Gynaecology and ENT.
Investment will be made to build core capacity, particularly in areas where the infrastructure is already in place. Endoscopy and diagnostic imaging will be of initial focus, with further investment planned in Urology, Breast Surgery, Dermatology and Cardiac Surgery.
Trauma capacity will also be expanded to improve access for fracture patients, which will also benefit orthopaedic capacity.
Other initiatives include:
Targeting funding at specialist procedures, particularly for children and women.
Setting up Mega clinics to provide patients with a ‘one stop shop’ where they can get surgical review and anaesthetic preoperative assessment in a single appointment.
Expansion of Primary Care Elective Service capacity in dermatology, minor surgery and gynaecology.
Development of partnership working with the voluntary sector to deliver a Waiting Well Programme and a Cancer Charities Programme.
Taken collectively, these measures will improve access to elective care for all patients.
Reducing waiting lists will not be a quick fix and it will not be resolved in a year or two. Investment at this level or higher will need to be sustained for up to five years to bring hospital waiting times down to acceptable levels.