Plan sets out wide range of waiting list iniatitives

Date published: 30 May 2025

In line with the Executive’s Programme for Government, the Minister is investing up to £215m this year on addressing waiting lists.

The funding breaks down into £85m for red flag and time critical care; £80m for building up capacity to address the long-standing mismatch with demand; and up to £50m to start tackling the backlog in care.

The detailed Implementation and Funding Plan sets a series of priority areas and targeted objectives including:

* Clearing current four year waits for circa 3,100 patients across Primary hip/ knee, Lap Cholecystectomy, Tonsillectomies, Hernia Treatment and
Colonoscopy.

* Mega Clinics for an estimated 20,000 additional patients across a number of specialities including Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, General Surgery and ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat).

* Funding specialist procedures for targeted reductions in waiting times for some 300 patients including Gynae Mesh, Paediatric Scopes      
Paediatric Squints, Paediatric Peg Tubes , Cleft Lip, and Scoliosis

* Endoscopy  – commissioning additional endoscopy sessions and staff recruitment. Additional sessions to reach 4,743 patients by March next year with a longer term target of 16,703 additional endoscopy procedures per year.

* Urology – the expansion of urology specialist nurses to reduce the reliance on the independent sector and improve cancer waiting times. Funding for three additional clinical nurse specialists and two all day inpatient lists per Trust can provide sufficient capacity to deliver an extra 2,000 procedures per year on an incremental basis.

* Expansion of Rapid Diagnosis Centres - Deploying Rapid Diagnosis Centre capacity in South Tyrone and Whiteabbey Hospitals to support quicker diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. This is expected to involve 500-600 patients who are suspected to have pancreatic cancer and is aimed at increasing survival rates where pancreatic cancer is diagnosed.

* Ophthalmology - increasing outpatient and treatment of red flag and time-critical capacity across Vitreo-Retinal (VR), Corneal, Macular and Glaucoma sub-specialties.

Publication of the Implementation and Funding Plan follows confirmation that the new Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme will commence on Monday, June 2. It will offer eligible patients the opportunity to reclaim costs for treatments received outside Northern Ireland.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt today said: “I have been clear that tackling hospital waiting lists will take time, determination and long term large-scale investment.

“The initiatives set out in the Implementation and Funding Plan will make a real difference to thousands of patients who have been waiting too long for assessment and treatment.”

The Implementation and Funding Plan can be read here: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/elective-care-framework-restart-recovery-and-redesign