To ask the Minister of Health for an update on the establishment of the Waiting List Management Unit.

The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) is currently in the process of recruiting staff for the Waiting List Management Unit (WLMU). Existing resource is being deployed on a temporary basis until recruitment has concluded.

Once established, the WLMU will manage the diagnostic, assessment and treatment waiting lists on a regional basis to ensure the equalisation of waiting times and the equitable access to HSC services. It will track individual patients to ensure that waiting lists are managed chronologically and, where necessary, work with Trust service managers to ensure the transfer of patients across Trust boundaries.