Health Minister welcomes Lagan Valley milestone

Date published: 21 September 2026

The Lagan Valley DPC has delivered almost 26,000 procedures for patients across Northern Ireland since opening in 2020. 

Health Minister Robbie Butler congratulated the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust team during a visit by Professor Tim Briggs CBE, Chair of the GIRFT Programme and NHS England National Director for Clinical Improvement, Elective and UEC Recovery. 

Professor Briggs is in Northern Ireland for an outpatient modernisation GIRFT summit, bringing together clinical and operational leaders from all Health and Social Care Trusts to consider how outpatient activity can reduce waiting times, unwarranted variation and the clinical risks associated.  

While waiting lists remain too long, the latest figures show sustained progress and a downward trajectory across key waiting time measures, with more patients being seen, diagnosed and treated. 

Minister Butler said: “This is a tremendous achievement, and I congratulate the entire team at Lagan Valley. As Health Minister, and as someone who knows Lagan Valley and many of the staff, I am particularly pleased to see the team receive this recognition. 

“Waiting lists remain much too long, but we must also recognise the progress being made and the thousands of patients who are being seen, diagnosed and treated. Lagan Valley shows what can be achieved when staff are supported to deliver safe, high-quality and efficient elective care. 

“We must continue to learn from what works, reduce variation and change how services are delivered so patients receive treatment sooner.” 

Regional Day Procedure Centres at Lagan Valley and Omagh are an established part of Northern Ireland’s elective care model, providing protected capacity for planned procedures away from many of the pressures of emergency care. 

Their work supports delivery of the Department’s Elective Care Framework and the Programme for Government priority to reduce waiting times, combining additional activity with reform to increase capacity, improve productivity and build more sustainable services. 

The Lagan Valley DPC operates as a regional service, bringing together expertise from across Health and Social Care. Surgeons from Belfast, Southern and Northern Health and Social Care Trusts work alongside South Eastern Health colleagues to deliver procedures for patients from across Northern Ireland. 

The Lagan Valley DPC provides procedures across specialties including general surgery, gynaecology, urology, vascular, ENT (ear, nose and throat) and endoscopy. 

Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) is a clinically led improvement programme using data, evidence and peer review to identify good practice, reduce unwarranted variation and improve patient care. The Lagan Valley accreditation followed assessment of patient pathways; staff and training; clinical governance and outcomes; utilisation and productivity; and facilities and ringfencing. 

Professor Briggs said: “I have spent many years visiting hospitals across the UK and Ireland, meeting clinical teams and seeing first-hand what works well and where services can do better. 

“What that experience tells us is that we cannot accept unnecessary variation when we know there are better ways to deliver care. Long waits carry clinical risk. We have a responsibility to patients to reduce that risk, look critically at how services are organised and make changes where the evidence tells us we can do better. 

“Lagan Valley demonstrates what can be achieved when elective capacity is protected and teams are collaboratively focused on delivering safe, high-quality and efficient care. 

“GIRFT is about turning that learning into action - reducing variation, improving outcomes and helping patients get the right care sooner.” 

Regional Clinical Director for Elective Care Professor Mark Taylor said: “The GIRFT summit brings leaders from across our Trusts together around one shared purpose and that’s doing better for patients. 

“We have made significant progress, but waiting lists remain too long. We must maintain momentum and continue to reform how elective care is planned and delivered. 

“GIRFT helps us identify what works, understand variation and use evidence to drive improvement. Lagan Valley shows the value of dedicated elective capacity, protecting planned care, making effective use of our theatres and teams and helping patients receive treatment sooner. 

“The Elective Care Framework gives us the direction for that change. We now need to build on progress and spread effective practice across Northern Ireland.” 

Minister Butler added: “Reducing waiting times is a Programme for Government priority and will remain a key focus for me as Health Minister. 

“There are no quick fixes. We need additional activity, but we also need reform. We should be clear about the scale of the challenge, but equally clear about the progress being made. 

“I want to thank the Lagan Valley team, colleagues from other Trusts who support this regional service, and staff right across Health and Social Care for their continued commitment to patients. Our task is to build on what works, make the changes needed and ensure more patients feel the benefit.” 

The GIRFT accreditation provides further impetus to continue the momentum, share learning and drive improvement across Health and Social Care.