Theorth's Health Minister, Ms Bairbre de Brun, has announced a slight drop in hospital waiting lists for in-patient care to just under 50,000. However, the number of outpatients waiting for appointments increased by almost 20 per cent over the previous year.
The in-patient figure, which relates to December 2000, represents a decrease of 250 in-patients from the previous month. While welcoming the overall reduction, the Minister said the number of people waiting for treatment was completely unacceptable. Tackling waiting lists would be her Department's top priority in the coming years.
The Minister said she would make additional resources available for the purpose. "This year I have allocated an extra £5 million [sterling] for this purpose and next year a total of £8 million will be available. I shall be looking to my Executive colleagues for further resources in future years to bring this problem under control."
Assembly members called on Ms de Brun to have the Northern Ireland Audit Office investigate the pay and expenses of health chief executives.
In the Eastern Health Board area, over £32,000 was spent on senior officers' expenses in the past year. In the North and West Belfast Trust, one chief executive received £9,128 in expenses. The Western Board spends on average £7,000 annually on chief executives' expenses.