7 April 2025

SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA has said the Executive parties are gaslighting the public when it comes to funding to clear health waiting lists.

He was speaking after Minister Mike Nesbitt said the budget did not involve £215m additional investment for waiting lists and did not meet the target in the Programme for Government, despite claims from other Executive parties.

South Down MLA Mr McGrath said:

“This extraordinary statement from the Health Minister, sent late on Sunday evening, directly contradicts claims made by the Finance Minister and other Executive parties on Thursday who were quick out the door to herald funding to cut health waiting lists. This latest squabble points to the dysfunction at the heart of this Executive that isn’t delivering on anything, from housing to childcare.

“As the Health Minister has plainly laid out – this is not new funding – and for Executive parties, including the First Minister to present it in this way is nothing short of gaslighting. Patients waiting years for treatment, many living in pain or with conditions that limit their quality of life, have had a series of mixed messages from Executive parties. We are talking about pensioners in need of hip surgery, children who are seeing their future limited and people crying out for mental health support. They are all being failed by this Executive.

“We all want to see the funding necessary to deal with our huge backlog of waiting lists, but to unnecessarily raise the public’s hopes that action will be taken is disgraceful. Even had this money been confirmed the reality is it would do little to clear the backlog and given the Executive’s failure to make any progress on transformation so far – there is little confidence they will ever be able to meaningfully cut waiting lists.”