To ask the Minister of Health what proposals he has to reduce waiting lists via waiting list validation.

Trusts have been allocated non–recurrent funding this year to support waiting list validation to ensure that waiting lists are accurate and include only those patients who require assessment and/ or treatment. This validation exercise is currently underway within each Trust. In parallel with and complementing the Trust led validation, a primary care led waiting list validation has been established whereby GP practices will carry out a clinical validation of their own patients currently on a waiting list for a first outpatient appointment across a range of specialties. Both exercises are funded until the end of March 2020.