4 March 2026
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA has said that the latest hospital waiting list figures underline the staggering situation facing patients across Northern Ireland.
He said it raises serious questions about whether tackling the backlog is truly a priority for the Executive.
The newest statistics show that more than 542,000 people are now waiting for a first outpatient appointment across the health service.
Of those, over 174,000 patients have been waiting longer than two years to be seen.
Mr McGrath said the numbers reveal a system where far too many people are left waiting while their conditions worsen.
South Down MLA Colin McGrath said:
“Hundreds of thousands of people are sitting in limbo, waiting for the phone call or the letter that tells them when they will finally be seen. For many of them that wait has stretched into years. That means people are living with pain, uncertainty, and conditions that are often getting worse while they wait for help.
“For a long time, the conversation around waiting lists has centred on money. While funding is part of the picture, we also need to change the way our health service operates. When we see figures like these it raises a broader issue about priorities. If reducing waiting lists was truly being treated as an urgent priority across the Executive, people would expect to see a much clearer and more determined plan to bring them down.
“People want to see progress and at the moment it doesn't always feel like the system is moving in the right direction. We have heard from the Health Minister that waiting lists are being reduced, but at the moment far too many people still feel like they have simply been left waiting indefinitely.”