The Department of Health has announced significant progress in tackling Northern Ireland’s hospital waiting lists, with year-end figures for 2025/26 showing substantial reductions in the longest waits for treatment and diagnosis. Published on 3 June 2026, the results demonstrate that 385,182 additional assessments, diagnostics and treatments were delivered during the financial year through the Elective Care Framework. However, the department notes this figure excludes administrative validation activity that has also contributed to list reductions.
Substantial Cuts to Longest Waiting Times
The year-end statistics reveal marked improvements in specific high-priority areas. Endoscopy waiting lists have fallen by 68 per cent since their peak in June 2022, representing almost 27,000 fewer patients waiting, with a 38 per cent reduction achieved during 2025/26 alone. Long waits for MRI scans reduced by 18.5 per cent over the same period.
Perhaps most significantly for patients facing extreme delays, projected waits of more than four years for inpatient and day case care reduced by 67 per cent, benefiting more than 13,400 individuals. Projected outpatient waits exceeding four years fell by 54 per cent, equivalent to more than 54,600 patients.
- Named procedures: A £50 million non-recurrent allocation delivered a 99 per cent reduction in long waits for specific procedures including colonoscopy, paediatric squints, PEG tube insertion, laparoscopic cholecystectomy and tonsillectomy, helping more than 5,300 patients.
- Orthopaedic care: Long waits for primary hip and knee procedures reduced by 99 per cent, assisting hundreds of patients to receive surgery more quickly.
- Primary care: 12,181 interventions were delivered through Primary Care Elective Services, easing pressure on hospital facilities.
Minister Praises “Determined Leadership”
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt welcomed the results as evidence that focused reform can deliver tangible benefits, while acknowledging that significant challenges remain across the system.
“From the outset, I have been clear that tackling waiting lists requires a sharper focus across our health service. Too many people have waited too long for assessment and treatment, often in pain or with uncertainty about their future. These results demonstrate what can be achieved through determined leadership, sustained investment and a collective effort across Health and Social Care. I am determined that we continue to build on this momentum. Challenges remain and demand continues to grow, but we are demonstrating that focused action, regional working and reform can make a real difference for patients. I want to thank staff across our hospitals, community services, primary care and regional teams for the commitment they have shown in helping reduce some of our longest waits and improve outcomes for patients.”
Regional Centres Boost Productivity
The progress follows sustained investment in regional elective care infrastructure. Theatre utilisation reached 86 per cent across Northern Ireland during 2025/26, while Day Procedure Centres at Omagh and Lagan Valley hospitals delivered 97 per cent and 88 per cent of commissioned theatre sessions respectively. Regional endoscopy centres provided more than 6,000 procedures during the year, contributing to nearly 20,000 procedures since October 2022.
Professor Mark Taylor, Regional Clinical Director for Elective Care, said the results demonstrate the value of sustained collaboration:
“While there is still much work to do, these results show that sustained regional collaboration and focused investment are helping more patients access assessment and treatment sooner.”
Sustainability and Scrutiny Questions
Despite the positive trajectory, the announcement raises questions about long-term sustainability. The figure of 385,182 additional treatments explicitly excludes “validation activity”—the administrative process of removing patients from lists who no longer require treatment or have moved away—which has also supported waiting list improvement. This distinction matters because validation reduces list sizes without necessarily reflecting increased clinical capacity.
Funding pressures persist. The Minister has previously stated that clearing backlogs would require £135 million annually over five years. However, the Executive has ringfenced £80 million for waiting list and elective care capacity building in 2026/27—substantially below that estimated requirement. The £215 million invested in 2025/26 (comprising £85 million for red flag care, £80 million for capacity building, and £50 million for backlog clearance) was described by officials as a temporary package.
Workforce constraints continue to threaten productivity gains. Latest workforce statistics show 6,078 vacancies actively being recruited across Health and Social Care as of December 2025, with nursing and midwifery posts accounting for nearly one-third of these gaps. Meanwhile, quarterly waiting times data published earlier this year indicated that no Health and Social Care Trust was meeting draft targets for outpatient, inpatient or diagnostic waiting times at December 2025.
Looking Ahead: Critical Questions
As the health service enters the 2026/27 financial year, several questions remain unanswered:
- With the Minister previously estimating £135 million annually is needed to clear backlogs, will the £80 million ringfenced for 2026/27 prove sufficient to maintain current momentum, or will waiting lists begin to grow again as demand outstrips capacity?
- How will the Department ensure that validation processes—which contributed to list reductions—do not mask ongoing capacity pressures, and will future reports distinguish between clinical activity and administrative list management?
- Given that workforce vacancies remain high with over 6,000 posts actively being recruited, can the 86 per cent theatre utilisation rate be sustained without addressing underlying staffing shortfalls?
- While named procedures saw 99 per cent reductions in long waits, what specific plans exist to tackle the remaining patients still facing extended waits across other specialities?
- How will the health service protect vulnerable groups—including children requiring paediatric procedures and cancer patients flagged as “red flag” priorities—from slipping back into lengthy delays as temporary funding streams conclude?
The next quarterly waiting times statistics, due later this year, will provide crucial evidence of whether these year-end gains represent a lasting turning point or a temporary plateau. Patients and clinicians alike will be watching closely to see if the promised “momentum” can be maintained against the backdrop of persistent demand and constrained budgets.