To ask the Minister of Health for his assessment of the increasing number of people on NHS waiting lists who subsequently opt to pay privately for treatment.

Waiting lists in Northern Ireland are wholly unacceptable. I am aware that as a consequence of this, some patients opt to pay privately for their assessments and treatment rather than waiting. My Department does not hold the detail on the number of patients that this applies to.

Tackling our lengthy waiting times is one of my priorities and is indeed an Executive priority. The Elective Care Framework published in 2021 sets out a detailed plan for addressing hospital waiting lists. Much good work is underway to tackle the backlog of patients waiting, for example through the development of elective care centres, rapid diagnosis centres and mega clinics. In addition, my Department is working with Trusts to increase productivity and efficiency through the use of a wide range of best practice service improvements.

Tackling waiting lists is however undoubtedly a long-term issue that requires sustainable and recurrent funding, workforce development and system wide transformation.