Sugden calls for cross-trust approach to tackle waiting lists

Independent MLA Claire Sugden has called on the Minister of Health to explore a more collaborative approach to waiting list management across Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care Trusts, ensuring that patients receive care as quickly as possible. Highlighting significant disparities in waiting times across different areas, Ms. Sugden has tabled Assembly questions urging the Department of Health to assess whether a more flexible system could alleviate pressures and maximise capacity.

“It makes little sense for patients in one Trust to wait months or even years for treatment when capacity exists elsewhere. The system must work smarter by ensuring that available resources are fully utilised, rather than allowing patients to suffer unnecessarily long delays simply because of their postcode.”

“However, managing waiting lists across Trusts is only part of the solution,” she said. “We must also ensure that patients who receive treatment outside their home Trust do not face barriers when accessing aftercare or follow-up appointments. A poorly coordinated system could risk leaving patients in limbo.”

‘It is also vital that Doctors, nurses, and patients must be consulted in how this system would work. Their insight must shape any potential reforms. If the Department is serious about tackling waiting lists, it must engage with those at the frontline to develop practical and effective solutions.”

‘Waiting lists have reached crisis levels, and we cannot afford to be rigid in our approach,” she concluded. “If there are resources available in another Trust, patients should be able to access them without unnecessary bureaucracy. The Minister must prioritise solutions that deliver real change and ensure that patients are not left waiting for care that could be available elsewhere.”