To ask the Minister of Health to outline the progress that has been made in reducing waiting times for neurology services.

Mr Butler

I thank the Member from East Belfast. I know that the Member is significantly interested in the topic, so I was not surprised to see it pop up. It is also close to my heart. My Department has secured £2·3 million in recurrent funding to increase neurology capacity and to begin reducing unacceptably long waits. The funding will be directed towards a balanced programme of immediate backlog reduction and sustainable service reform. That includes additional professional staff who can assess, review and support appropriate patients without requiring every contact to be consultant-led. My officials are working with a range of neurology stakeholders to ensure that action is in line with the published regional review of neurology services without prejudice to that work. Investment could support improvements to clinical triage, advice and guidance for GPs, validation of new and review waiting lists and patient-initiated follow-ups for suitable, stable patients. Measures such as those will ensure that specialist appointments are prioritised for patients with the greatest clinical need, while building a safer, more equitable and sustainable service across Northern Ireland. Neurology waiting times saw a slight improvement in the first six months of 2026, with the regional focus on elective care action. Between January and June, there was a reduction of 1,333 patients waiting for a first consultant appointment, from 28,188 to 26,855. However, the median average wait of 77 weeks remains unacceptable. That is why we need much more investment to support the regional review. The review proposes an ambitious programme to put people with neurological conditions at the centre of their care and to improve services underpinned by workforce growth and new ways of working. My Department is preparing to publish the review's consultation analysis report and to progress the next steps for implementation as soon as possible, despite the significant budget challenges that face the health and social care system.

Mr Butler

It is essential that we reduce waiting times, but we must also improve support for people while they wait, which is what the Member talked about. Services need to ensure that referrals are reviewed according to clinical need and that people whose conditions worsen can be identified and assessed more quickly. Better specialist advice for general practitioners can help some patients to begin appropriate tests or treatment without having to wait for hospital appointments. My Department's regional review also recommends protected urgent appointments for people who are at risk of hospital admission, clearer points of contact and stronger links with nursing services, therapy services and community and voluntary services. Those approaches require careful planning and appropriate staffing, but they are central to a safer service. Patients should not feel forgotten whilst they wait, and those with the most urgent needs should be identified and prioritised consistently across Northern Ireland.