Swann to ‘leave no stone unturned’ to find money to reduce waiting lists

By Rebecca Black and Jonathan McCambridge (PA)

Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann has pledged to “leave no stone unturned” in seeking to address spiralling waiting lists.

Addressing MLAs in the Assembly chamber following a debate on a motion calling for “turbo-charge investment” to tackle the backlog, Mr Swann said it is “deplorable” that waiting list targets have not been met since 2014.

The minister said, at the end of September, there were 430,000 patients waiting for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment.

“These are eye-watering figures for a population of our size,” he said.

Northern Ireland has the worst hospital waiting lists in the UK, with more than a quarter of the population waiting for an inpatient or outpatient appointment.

Mr Swann previously served as Health Minister before the effective collapse of the Assembly. He resumed the role earlier this month following the resurrection of powersharing Government.

He told MLAs that the Department of Health has not had a recurrent budget since 2015, instead working with single year budgets which he said has not allowed many strategies for addressing lengthening waiting lists.

“It’s a matter of deep worry for me and should bring real inner reflection to all that serve in this place that so many people have been waiting for so long for diagnosis, so long for treatment and so long for support,” he said.

Mr Swann said it is fundamental to have a “clear, time-bound deliverable action plan”, fully resourced with a multi-year budget.

He said he published an elective care framework in June 2021 with a five-year plan to reduce waiting lists but, while there has been some progress, damage has been caused by the recent political stalemate.

“In the absence of an Executive, and critically in the absence of any budgetary certainty, that framework since has been starved of both the political leadership and of the funding that is required,” he said.

“Regrettably therefore, as we’re halfway through the point of that five-year timeframe, my department last year already announced that its targets were no longer within reach.”

Mr Swann said he has tasked officials to review the framework by June.

“I can assure members I will be leaving no stone unturned as part of my broader consideration to resource investment in reducing waiting lists,” he said.

“I will invest what limited funding there is wherever it will have the greatest possible impact.

“However, the task ahead will be much easier if all parties will do all they can to support the adequate and multi-year funding settlements.”

DUP MLAs Diane Dodds and Alan Robinson brought the motion to the Assembly earlier.

Opening the debate, Mrs Dodds said many people had lost faith in the health service.

She said: “Tackling this issue is one of the pivotal issues on which the success or failure of this executive will be judged.

“The equivalent of 26.3% of the Northern Ireland population is on a waiting list, compared to 12.4% in England.”

Addressing Mr Swann, Mrs Dodds added: “We all know this is not a sustainable position.

“We know Northern Ireland has the worst waiting lists in the UK, simply doing a little more or investing a little extra won’t make a significant difference.

“That is why it is imperative that you and executive colleagues have a clear plan to reduce waiting times.”

She said: “Northern Ireland can only do so much itself. We must seek to partner on a much larger scale with national or global providers that can work alongside us and provide the additional skilled staff required in the short term as we enhance our own capacity.

“Investing in our own staff and infrastructure is my preferred option, but the needs of our waiting lists and the urgent requirement to address capacity will take radical short-term solutions.”

Closing the debate, DUP MLA Deborah Erskine welcomed Mr Swann’s commitment.

She said her plea is that they “see action”.