Northern Ireland’s hospital consultant waiting lists reach an all-time high

Northern Ireland has registered its highest ever number of individuals awaiting an appointment with a hospital consultant. Over half a million people are now included on lists for their initial consultation with a specialist. Data released by the Department of Health indicates that as of 30 September this year, 506,612 individuals had not yet been seen. The longest outpatient waiting list pertains to general surgery; however, every treatment specialism list has expanded, with ophthalmology being the sole exception. Patients requiring ENT (Ears, Nose and Throat) treatment face the second longest wait, followed by those for gynaecology. The figures further reveal that more than half of all patients have been waiting for over a year to receive an appointment. Approximately 110,000 patients are awaiting either an inpatient or day case admission across hospitals within Northern Ireland’s five health trusts. These latest statistics cover the period up to 30 September. The Department of Health advised that while caution was necessary with these statistics due to the introduction of the new electronic records system Encompass, they provided “a meaningful representation” of the current waiting lists. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.