Tackling waiting lists and modernising outpatient care: NICON webinar report

Background

On 10 March 2026, NICON held a webinar to take an in depth look at progress on waiting lists in Northern Ireland, featuring Professor Mark Taylor, Northern Ireland’s first Regional Clinical Director for Elective Care, who was appointed in July 2025 and has played a central role in overseeing, leading, and supporting the NI Department of Health’s drive to reduce waiting lists. We also heard from a panel of experts as we discussed progress made over the last year, explored how to build capacity within the system, and considered the strategies being developed to ultimately win the war on waiting lists.

The webinar was held as part of NICON’s 'Reset' discussion series, which will run throughout 2026.

Key points

Northern Ireland’s elective care system is beginning to turn a corner, with the Reset Plan driving a clearer, more coordinated effort to reduce long waits and improve patient flow. This webinar set out the progress now emerging across diagnostics, trauma, outpatients and long‑wait elective procedures, underpinned by redesigned pathways, smarter theatre use and a renewed focus on clinically led change. The system is demonstrating that when capacity, consistency and collaboration align, meaningful improvement follows.

Sustaining this momentum will require continued whole‑system alignment: maximising theatres and diagnostics, reducing variation, embedding enhanced triage and mega‑clinic models, and accelerating digital adoption through encompass and MyCare. Even within a challenging financial context, energy and commitment across Trusts, primary care and digital teams is strengthening. The Reset approach is proving that change is possible, and that clinical leadership, partnership and disciplined execution will be essential to ensure progress endures.

• Waiting lists are finally falling, with major reductions in diagnostics and long‑wait elective procedures.
• Theatre productivity is improving through extended sessions, earlier starts and the “Golden Patient” approach (the first patient scheduled for an operating theatre list who is pre-selected the day before to ensure they are fully prepared, investigated, and consented).
• Validation is unlocking real capacity, removing patients who no longer need treatment.
• Primary care elective services are delivering at scale, easing pressure on hospital outpatients.
• Digital tools are cutting delays, reducing Did Not Attends (DNAs) and speeding triage through MyCare and encompass.
• Clinical leadership is driving change, with teams across the system aligning around shared goals.