AQW 40105/22-27


Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry


Tabled Date: 09/02/2026
Answered On Date: 30/03/2026
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any additional capacity for gynaecology assessment and treatment that has been commissioned in the last 12 months, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.


Answer:
Within the last 12 months, each of the Trusts have accessed non-recurrent funding to reduce the >3-year outpatient backlog. This has been achieved with additional capacity being made available via Waiting List Reduction (WLR) funding to send patients to the Independent Sector (IS), as detailed below.
Assessments
Treatments
Diagnostics
Activity
Spend
Activity
Spend
Activity
Spend
Belfast Trust
1,518
£484, 388
160
£51,616
Northern Trust
557
£849,550
South Eastern Trust
538
£106,744
25
£66,039
35
£11,975
Southern Trust
1,141
£857,335
Western Trust
357
£94,828
6
£15,343
Total
4,111
£2,392,843
192
£132,998
£11,975
To support earlier validation and prioritisation of patients on the waiting list, some Trusts commissioned additional administrative sessions dedicated to telephone validation. This enabled administrative teams to work through substantial numbers of cases, ensuring that patient information, clinical need, and waiting list status were reviewed efficiently and accurately.
These initiatives have collectively enhanced service capacity and contributed to targeted reductions in gynaecology waiting lists. This has been progressed as part of the regionally coordinated Gynae Collaborative with funding support from my Department.
Nurse Led colposcopy/ hysteroscopy services have been extended by recurrent funding being made available for a model of two Lead Nurses for colposcopy and hysteroscopy in each Trust.
Further investment is currently being planned for Clinical E-Triage, additional sonography and Advanced Nurse Practitioners in each Trust.