Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has highlighted the important progress being made at Newry’s Daisy Hill Hospital in helping reduce Northern Ireland’s waiting lists, noting the hospital’s growing role within the wider transformation of elective care across the region.
During a visit to the hospital’s theatres, Elective Overnight Stay Centre (EOSC) and paediatric elective ward, the Minister acknowledged the ongoing work to increase planned surgical capacity and improve outcomes for patients.
The Health Minister said: “Reducing waiting lists is one of my central priorities as Health Minister. But this is not just about speed — it is about transforming how we deliver care, ensuring patients receive the right treatment in the right place, with better outcomes and a more consistent experience.
“The Elective Care Framework sets out this vision for reform, and Daisy Hill is showing how dedicated elective capacity can support that transformation in practice. Elective Overnight Stay Centres like this one help provide reliable space for planned procedures, improving productivity and giving renewed hope to patients who have been waiting too long.
“I am encouraged by the good work taking place across Northern Ireland to increase elective capacity and tackle our longest waits, and Daisy Hill is contributing to that broader progress.”
Since April 2023, almost 11,000 elective surgical procedures have been completed at the Daisy Hill EOSC across a wide range of specialties, including breast, urology, gynaecology, dermatology, ENT, general surgery, paediatric surgery, dental, oral surgery and endoscopy.
A dedicated paediatric theatre and recovery ward are also supporting regional efforts to reduce long waits for children.
The Minister further added: “Daisy Hill is making steady progress in supporting regional elective recovery. This work reflects the commitment and professionalism of staff across the hospital, and I want to acknowledge their efforts as part of the wider transformation taking place across our health service.
“We must continue to build on this momentum. Better outcomes for patients will remain my focus as Minister, and that requires sustained investment, collaboration and reform across the whole system.”
The latest waiting list figures demonstrate clear positive trends:
• Around 164,000 red flag and time-critical patients have been seen, diagnosed or treated
• Waits over 4 years in Named procedures down 62% (i.e. colonoscopy, tonsillectomy, hips etc)
• Over-four-year outpatient waits down 35% (35,319 patients)
• Over-four-year treatment waits down 47% (9,411 patients)
The Health Minister concluded: “There is still a significant amount of work to do, but the progress being made — here at Daisy Hill and across the region — shows that improvement is possible. We will continue working to deliver faster, safer and more sustainable care for patients.”
