Surgeons respond to NI Affairs Committee report into funding and delivery of public services

The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) provided evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee last year on long waiting lists for surgery and the impact on patients. Responding to the findings of the Committee's new report, ‘The funding and delivery of public services in Northern Ireland’, Mr Niall McGonigle, Northern Ireland Director of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said:

“We are pleased that the report supports our recommendation to introduce a statutory duty on the Department of Health to publish an assessment of its health and social care workforce projections. With demand outstripping capacity, it is crucial that we have adequate staffing in place.

“NI’s waiting lists are unacceptably long and some patients are suffering such long waits that their conditions have deteriorated. Patients urgently need to see action from our health system, and as surgeons we stand ready to play our part.”

Notes to editors

1. RCS England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams, at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research, and championing the best outcomes for patients.
2. For more information, please contact the Press Office: Telephone: 020 7869 6053/6054/6047; Email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; Out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.