AQW 42701/22-27

Miss Nuala McAllister
Alliance Party
North Belfast

Tabled Date: 18/03/2026
Answered On Date: 10/04/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health whether any waiting well initiatives, modelled on the Arthritis UK Waiting Well programme, are available for patients awaiting orthopaedic surgery.

Answer:

The Support While Waiting Grant Scheme will be funding 20 community and voluntary sector organisations, to put in place programmes to support patients on Health and Social Care (HSC) waiting lists across a range of specialties, including orthopaedics.

These programmes are intended to provide support such as self-management, education and wellbeing interventions to help patients manage their condition while waiting for treatment.

The names of the 20 organisations will be published when funding has been released by the Department.