Northern Ireland surgeon appointed to lead £215 million drive to cut waiting lists

(L-R): Professor Mark Taylor and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt

A senior Belfast-based surgeon has been appointed to spearhead Northern Ireland’s urgent efforts to reduce spiralling hospital waiting lists, with a potential £215million earmarked for reform.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has announced the appointment of Professor Mark Taylor as the region’s first Regional Clinical Director for Elective Care, a pivotal new role focused on tackling what both the Minister and Professor Taylor have described as one of the most pressing healthcare crises facing the country.

Professor Taylor, a Consultant Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Surgeon at the Mater Hospital in Belfast and Visiting Professor at Ulster University, brings a wealth of experience in clinical leadership and medical reform. His previous roles include President of the GBI Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, the Pancreatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and advisory positions with Bowel Cancer UK.

The newly created post will see Professor Taylor provide specialist clinical leadership and strategic advice to the Minister and the Department of Health on transforming elective care services, encouraging innovation, collaboration and the dissemination of best practice across the Health and Social Care (HSC) system.

Minister Mike Nesbitt said:

“I am delighted that Mark has agreed to take on this role with my Department and I am looking forward to working closely with him.

“There are many vital facets to the ongoing drive for elective care recovery in Northern Ireland – including reform, investment, improved productivity and reducing clinical variance.

“The overriding goal, of course, has to be to get many more people off waiting lists.”

Professor Taylor has committed to leading this long-term challenge with urgency and resolve.

“I am honoured to be chosen by the Minister for this vitally important post.

“Our hospital waiting lists are nothing short of a national shame and I intend to work relentlessly with Department and HSC colleagues to help turn things around.

“This is a long-term challenge – the Minister has spoken previously about being at the foothills of it. I will be devoting all my energies to it and I know colleagues will be doing the same.”

A strategic plan backed by £215 million

The Department of Health’s Elective Care Implementation and Funding Plan, published in May, sets out a comprehensive roadmap to reduce hospital waiting times.

The plan includes reforms to services, enhanced clinical productivity, and investments in new models of care delivery.

Full details can be found at: www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/elective-care-framework-restart-recovery-and-redesign

For the 2025–26 financial year, up to £215million has been earmarked for elective care, broken down as follows:

• £85million for red flag and time-critical care

• £80million for building capacity to meet demand

• £50million to start addressing the care backlog

The appointment of Professor Taylor aligns with the priorities set out in the Northern Ireland Executive’s Programme for Government and is seen as a major step in addressing decades of under-resourced and overburdened elective care pathways.