AQW 38677/22-27

Mr Gerry Kelly
Sinn Féin
North Belfast

Tabled Date: 21/01/2026
Answered On Date: 16/02/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for his assessment of the Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme, including the number of people who have availed of it.

Answer:

The Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme is a key initiative within the Elective Care Framework, designed to help meet the growing demands for services and ensure that no patient waits longer than a year for treatment. This Scheme specifically targets those who have been waiting the longest. While the original eligibility threshold was set at two years, my Department reduced this to one year to broaden access for patients and accelerate progress in reducing waiting times.

The Scheme commenced on 2 June 2025 and offers patients who are ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland, and who have been on an HSC hospital treatment waiting list for one year or more, the option to obtain and pay for treatment privately outside Northern Ireland and have reimbursement up to the equivalent average cost Health and Social Care (HSC) cost for that procedure.

Implementation has been phased:

Phase One enabled reimbursement for treatment in the Republic of Ireland (Rol).

Phase Two, launched 15 September 2025, extended eligibility to include treatment across the wider European Union.

The scheme is operating effectively, with efficient processing times and high patient satisfaction among those who meet the eligibility criteria.

From the launch of the Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme on 2 June 2025 up to 22 January 2026, a total of 493 applications have been successfully prior-approved to seek treatment outside Northern Ireland and claim reimbursement up to the HSC equivalent cost.