Northern Ireland’s £215m plan to slash hospital waiting lists gains support amid debate

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt 

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has unveiled a transformative £215 million Implementation and Funding Plan to address Northern Ireland’s hospital waiting list crisis, a move hailed as a “major step forward” by Ulster Unionist Health Spokesperson Alan Chambers MLA and welcomed by North Antrim Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan.

The Elective Care Framework – Restart, Recovery and Redesign, published today, outlines targeted initiatives to reduce waiting times, boost capacity, and reform elective care services.

However, the relaunch of a £10 million Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme has sparked mixed reactions, with DUP Health Spokesperson Diane Dodds MLA questioning its effectiveness.

Aligned with the Executive’s Programme for Government, the plan allocates £85 million for urgent and time-critical care, £80 million to address long-term capacity shortages, and up to £50 million to tackle the existing backlog.

It targets clearing four-year waits for approximately 3,100 patients awaiting procedures such as primary hip and knee replacements, laparoscopic cholecystectomies, tonsillectomies, hernia treatments, and colonoscopies.

Key Initiatives to Transform Elective Care

The framework introduces “Mega Clinics” to treat an estimated 20,000 additional patients across specialties including ophthalmology, orthopaedics, general surgery, and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) services.

Specialist procedures for around 300 patients, including gynaecological mesh procedures, paediatric scopes, squints, peg tubes, cleft lip repairs, and scoliosis surgeries, will receive targeted funding to reduce waiting times.

Endoscopy services will see a significant boost, with additional sessions commissioned to reach 4,743 patients by March 2026 and a long-term goal of 16,703 extra procedures annually, supported by staff recruitment.

In urology, the expansion of specialist nursing roles, including three additional clinical nurse specialists and two all-day inpatient lists per Trust, is expected to deliver an extra 2,000 procedures per year, reducing reliance on the independent sector and improving cancer waiting times.

Ophthalmology services will gain increased capacity for urgent cases across vitreo-retinal, corneal, macular, and glaucoma sub-specialties.

Additionally, Rapid Diagnosis Centres at South Tyrone and Whiteabbey Hospitals will support faster diagnosis for 500–600 patients suspected of having pancreatic cancer, aiming to improve survival rates through earlier intervention.

Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme Relaunch

A cornerstone of the plan is the relaunch of the £10 million Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme on Monday, June 2.

The scheme allows Northern Ireland residents waiting at least two years for treatment to have procedures performed privately in the Republic of Ireland and reclaim the equivalent cost of the local Health and Social Care (HSC) rate.

Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan, Chair of the Health Committee, welcomed the initiative, stating:

“I welcome the Minister’s confirmation that the Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme will officially launch on 2nd June. This is an important development for patients who have been waiting far too long for essential treatment.

“This scheme, originally introduced through the EU, helped thousands of people across the island to access procedures—particularly hip and knee operations. Its reinstatement is a much-needed step towards tackling waiting lists.”

Ulster Unionist Alan Chambers MLA echoed this sentiment, describing the plan as a “major step forward that for the first time in a decade we now have a detailed and funded plan to tackle them.”

He highlighted the scheme’s previous success, noting that it “enabled many patients to take themselves out of pain and discomfort” before funding was depleted.

However, DUP Health Spokesperson Diane Dodds MLA expressed reservations during a recent Assembly debate, querying, “What possible benefits does the scheme really offer?”

She argued it would not increase the number of patients treated and suggested it primarily benefits companies in Dublin financially.

Chambers called her stance “rather bizarre,” noting that up to 2,000 patients could benefit, reducing waiting lists and shortening times for others.

He added, “I am not sure what her difficulty with that is, given that up to 2,000 Northern Ireland patients will be able to utilise the scheme and be taken out of pain and discomfort, while removing a large chunk of patients from the waiting lists and thus shortening waiting times for others.”

Chambers also highlighted an apparent inconsistency in Dodds’ position, referencing her September 2024 comment that Northern Ireland “cannot do this alone” and needs partners from Great Britain or abroad.

He questioned whether her objection to financial benefits for Republic of Ireland companies reflects DUP policy, stating, “When I asked them this question in the Assembly, their response was rather muted. Some clarity from them on the topic would be welcomed.”

A Long-Term Commitment

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt underscored the scale of the challenge, stating:

“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 plan combines immediate action with long-term reform to address both the current backlog and systemic issues of capacity and productivity. By investing in high-impact initiatives and reinstating the Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme, the Department of Health aims to deliver a more responsive and sustainable healthcare system.

For more details, the full Implementation and Funding Plan is available on the Department of Health’s website: Elective Care Framework – Restart, Recovery and Redesign.