AQO 3357/22-27


Mr Andrew McMurray
Alliance Party
South Down


Tabled Date: 12/03/2026
Answered On Date: 26/03/2026
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health whether the recent reduction in the inpatient and day case waiting list reflects increased treatment activity or patient removal following waiting list validation.


Answer:
While Health and Social Care Trusts continue to undertake validation of their waiting lists to ensure they reflect those patients who are clinically fit and who still require their procedure, my Department is working in parallel to deliver additional HSC activity.
From April 2025 to January 2026 there has been an additional 118,000 consultations, diagnostic tests and treatments delivered by our Trusts. Funding has also been provided to support the ongoing delivery of Primary Care Elective Services. This investment has enabled the provision of approximately 15,300 facetoface and remote consultations across the routine elective pathways.
The expansion of HSC capacity has been complemented with the new waiting list reimbursement scheme and the continued use of inhouse and independent sector initiatives. This capacity has enabled the delivery of a further 119,000 consultations, diagnostic tests and treatments. These initiatives have helped reduce the waiting times for a range of common conditions including primary hip and primary knee replacements where approximately 1,000 patients have either had their joint surgery or have a confirmed date for their joint surgery.
Working with Professor Mark Taylor, my Department has made significant progress to reduce waiting times. Between March 2025 and February 2026, there has been a 50% reduction in the number of patients projected to be waiting over four years for an outpatient appointment by 31 March 2026 and there has been a 62% reduction in patients waiting for inpatient and day case treatment. In terms of the named procedures detailed in the Elective Care Framework there has been an 89% reduction in patients waiting over four years.
To ensure that the progress which has been made against the PfG target this year is not reversed, I need the Executive to deliver on the commitment within the 2026/27 allocation.