Home / Health / £80 Million Injection to Cut Northern Ireland Waits
£80 Million Injection to Cut Northern Ireland Waits
28 May
Summary
- £80 million allocated to reduce critical hospital waiting times over 12 months.
- Over 500,000 patients currently await consultant appointments in Northern Ireland.
- Elective Overnight Stay Centre has eliminated waits for several procedures.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has announced that £80 million will be allocated to address Northern Ireland's critical hospital waiting lists over the next 12 months. This funding is part of the executive's commitment to reducing health "red flag" and critical waiting times.
Northern Ireland's hospitals are experiencing record highs, with over 500,000 patients awaiting consultant appointments, and more than 55% facing waits exceeding one year. The newly announced funds are anticipated to be part of the draft budget, with a broad political consensus to prioritize these waiting list reductions.
Progress is already being observed in critical areas. Minister Nesbitt highlighted the Mater Hospital's Elective Overnight Stay Centre (EOSC) in Belfast, which opened in November 2022. This center has helped eliminate waits of over four years for procedures such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy, colonoscopy, tonsillectomy, and hernia surgery.
Professor Mark Taylor, a senior surgeon appointed last July to specifically address the waiting list issue, acknowledged it as a long-term challenge. He is working with health service colleagues to improve the situation. Staff across the health and social care system have been commended for their dedication in difficult circumstances.
