Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA has again warned the scale of waiting lists and growing waiting times re-emphasise the need to move swiftly with the transformation process and to re-build reformed services.

The South Belfast MLA was speaking as the latest waiting lists were published, showing among other figures 327,189 patients are on a waiting list for their first consultant-led outpatient appointment, a 6.9 per cent rise compared to the same time last year.

“The rising waiting lists and, perhaps even more worryingly, the times people are waiting, show the shameful failure of past Health and Finance Ministers to grasp the need for urgent reform,” said Ms Bradshaw.

“There can be no excuse now for any holding up of the transformation process. Anything else is just putting a temporary sticking plaster on a serious systemic failure.

“The Health Minister can rely on our full support for moving on swiftly with transformation to deliver a better, efficient service in which people move through to receive the care they need faster.”