SDLP Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA has responded to today’s published waiting list times and said these figures “underscore the awful human cost of political failure.”
Mr McGrath said:
“The figures published today paint a devastating picture of the current status of health waiting lists in the North. These aren’t just figures or statistics, these are people and the shocking truth is that with one in four people in Northern Ireland now on a waiting list, most of us will know someone who is going to wait for a very long time for care.
“Things are not getting better. Most people can expect to wait over a year for a first appointment and in some cases will be waiting for almost five years. There is no way to dress up the reality of today’s findings, and there is no good news to come out of this. People will read this news with horror and outrage.
“We have read all the reports and reviews, we know what we need to do, and still we are trapped in limbo by the antics of one political party. What we are now seeing is the awful human cost of the DUP’s failed political strategy.
“It is clear that the people of Northern Ireland cannot wait any longer. They are suffering and, in some cases, they will die waiting on the transformation of our public services. This cannot continue.”
ENDS
CLANRYE NEWS 