Publication of the Quarterly Northern Ireland Outpatient, Inpatient and Day Case, and Diagnostic Waiting Times Statistics - Position on 30 June 2026
Date published:
The Department of Health today published the quarterly Northern Ireland Outpatient, Inpatient and Day Case, and Diagnostic Waiting Times Statistics, relating to the position on 30 June 2026.
The waiting times statistical bulletins provide detailed information on the number of people waiting for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment, inpatient/day case treatment, or a diagnostic test at hospitals in Northern Ireland.
On 9 November 2023 the South Eastern Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust launched ‘encompass’ - a new electronic patient record system. The system also went live in Belfast HSC Trust on 6 June 2024, in Northern HSC Trust on 7 November 2024, and in Southern and Western HSC Trusts on 8 May 2025.
Figures sourced from encompass are considered to be ‘official statistics in development’, which are a subset of Official Statistics in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics. While caution must be exercised when using these figures and they are not directly comparable with legacy (pre-encompass) data, they are a meaningful representation of what they measure and are of sufficient quality for publication and use.***
Waiting Times for a First Outpatient Appointment:
The draft target for outpatient waiting times states that 50% of patients should wait no longer than nine weeks for a first outpatient appointment, with no patient waiting longer than 52 weeks.
At 30 June 2026, no HSC Trust met either element of the outpatient waiting times target. There has, however, been a reduction of the proportion of those waiting over 52 weeks.
Key Figures:
504,537 patients were waiting for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment at hospitals in Northern Ireland on 30 June 2026, 1.2% (6,143) fewer than on 31 March 2026 (510,680).
The median waiting time was 59.1 weeks, a decrease from 60.1 weeks on 31 March 2026.
The 95th percentile waiting time was 282.6 weeks, an increase from 281.6 weeks on 31 March 2026.
85.2% (430,008 of 504,537) of patients were waiting more than nine weeks for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment on 30 June 2026, compared with 85.1% (434,657 of 510,680) on 31 March 2026.
53.7% (270,731 of 504,537) of patients were waiting more than 52 weeks for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment on 30 June 2026, compared with 54.1% (276,312 of 510,680) on 31 March 2026.
Waiting Times for Inpatient and Day Case Admission:
The draft target for inpatient and day case waiting times states that 55% of patients should wait no longer than 13 weeks for inpatient/ day case treatment; with no patient waiting longer than 52 weeks.
At 30 June 2026, no HSC Trust met either component of the inpatient and day case waiting times target. General improvement continues to be evident, however, as shown by the key figures below.
Key Figures:
81,223 patients were waiting for inpatient or day case admission to hospitals on 30 June 2026, 1.6% (1,345) fewer than on 31 March 2026 (82,568).
The median waiting time was 24.9 weeks, a decrease from 26.1 weeks on 31 March 2026.
The 95th percentile waiting time was 275.1 weeks, a decrease from 293.7 weeks on 31 March 2026.
63.8% (51,849 of 81,223) of patients were waiting more than 13 weeks for admission, compared with 64.0% on 31 March 2026.
34.1% (27,675 of 81,223) of patients were waiting more than 52 weeks for admission, compared with 35.5% on 31 March 2026.
Waiting Times for a Diagnostic Service:
The draft target for diagnostic waiting times states that 75% of patients should wait no longer than nine weeks for a diagnostic test, with no patient waiting longer than 26 weeks.
At 30 June 2026, no HSC Trust met either component of the diagnostic waiting times target. There has, however, been a reduction of the proportion of those waiting over 26 weeks.
Key Figures:
231,145 patients were waiting for a diagnostic test at 30 June 2026, 5.1% (11,228) more than at 31 March 2026 (219,917).
61.0% (140,895) of patients were waiting more than 9 weeks for a diagnostic test, compared with 58.8% (129,394) at 31 March 2026.
35.0% (80,786) of patients were waiting more than 26 weeks for a diagnostic test, compared with 35.7% (78,533) at 31 March 2026.
Diagnostic Reporting Turnaround Times:
The draft target for diagnostic reporting times states that all urgent diagnostic tests should be reported on within two days of the test being undertaken.
During the quarter ending June 2026, no HSC Trust achieved the diagnostic reporting times target. General improvement continues to be evident, however, as shown by the key figures below.
Key Figures:
472,536 diagnostic tests were reported on at hospitals during the quarter ending June 2026. Of these, 27.4% (129,557) were urgent tests and the remaining 72.6% (342,979) were routine tests.
Of the 129,557 urgent diagnostic tests, 79.7% (103,254) were reported on within 2 days, compared with 78.4% during the quarter ending March 2026.
Notes to editors:
- The publications are available online at: www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/northern-ireland-waiting-time-statistics-outpatient-waiting-times-june-2026
2. Any specific data caveats are included in the relevant publication for that quarter.
3. About the Data:
The sources for the data contained in these releases are:
- encompass;
- HSC Trust Patient Administration Systems;
- DoH ICATS return;
- DoH SDR1 diagnostics return; and
- DoH DRTT diagnostics return.
Outpatient Definitions:
An outpatient appointment is to enable a patient to see a consultant or a member of their team following an outpatient referral. While most referrals will be from a GP, they may also be received from a range of other sources.
These appointments provide an opportunity for consultation, investigation, and minor treatment. Appointments can be face-to-face or virtual, and patients are not admitted into hospital.
A first attendance is the first of a series or the only attendance at an outpatient service.
Waiting time for a first outpatient appointment begins on the date the HSC Trust receives a referral to a consultant‑led service.
Inpatient and Day Case Definitions:
Inpatient and day case waiting list data comprise the number of patients waiting for inpatient and day case admission to hospital.
Inpatient admissions are patients admitted electively, with the expectation that they will remain in hospital for at least one night.
Day case admissions are patients admitted electively with the expectation that, although they may require supervised recovery, they do not require the use of a hospital bed overnight and will return home as scheduled the same day.
Waiting time begins from the date the clinician decided to admit the patient.
The waiting list figures presented include people waiting to be admitted as inpatients either as day cases or inpatient admissions. They do not include:
- Patients admitted as emergency cases;
- Patients waiting for planned admission i.e. patients given proposed date of admission determined by social or clinical criteria;
- Patients undergoing a planned programme of treatment e.g. a series of admissions for chemotherapy;
- Patients waiting for admission as a regular day or night attender;
- Patients waiting for maternity specialties (except where the intention is to terminate the pregnancy);
- Patients waiting who are currently admitted for another reason; or
- Patients who are temporarily suspended for medical or social reasons.
Following regional agreement by the Department and HSC Trusts in July 2025, figures for infusion/ dialysis first appointments (which differ clinically from subsequent planned appointments), have been included. This change took effect in the Northern Ireland Inpatient and Day Case Waiting Time Statistics publication for quarter ending September 2025.
Diagnostic Service Definitions:
A diagnostic service provides an examination, test or procedure used to identify a person’s disease or condition and which allows a medical diagnosis to be made.
The diagnostic waiting list figures presented include people waiting for a test with a diagnostic element including tests that are part diagnostic and subsequently part therapeutic. They do not include:
- Patients currently admitted to a hospital bed and waiting for an emergency procedure;
- Purely therapeutic procedures. A therapeutic procedure is defined as a procedure which involves actual treatment of a person’s disease, condition or injury;
- Patients undergoing a planned programme of tests; or
- Patients waiting for procedures as part of a screening programme.
Diagnostic Reporting Turnaround Times Definitions:
The diagnostic reporting turnaround time is the length of time between the diagnostic test being undertaken and the results being verified and dispatched to the referring clinician.
Diagnostic reporting times apply to a selected subset of diagnostic services. These services are:
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging;
- Computerised Tomography;
- Non-Obstetric Ultrasound;
- Plain Film X-rays;
- Barium Studies;
- DEXA Scan;
- Radionuclide Imaging;
- Pure Tone Audiometry;
- Echocardiography;
- Perfusion Studies;
- Peripheral Neurophysiology;
- Sleep Studies;
- Urodynamics Pressures and Flows;
- Diagnostic Arteriography; and
- Gut Transit Study.
4. Day case endoscopies are reported on the day of the test and are, therefore, not included in diagnostic reporting turnaround times.
5. This information is provided by Hospital Waits Information Branch, Department of Health. Further information is available from:
Hospital Waits Information Branch
Department of Health
Annexe 2, Castle Buildings
Stormont
BT4 3SQ
Telephone: 028 9076 5725
e-mail: Statistics@health-ni.gov.uk
Internet: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/topics/hospital-waiting-times-statistics
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