To ask the Minister of Health to detail his plans to expand general surgery provision at (i) Causeway Hospital; (ii) Daisy Hill Hospital; and (iii) South West Acute Hospital.

The Elective Care Framework sets out the activities and investment required to tackle waiting lists on a sustainable basis to maximise activity and reduce waiting times.

I have recently set out how the £80 million earmarked funding will be used to build core capacity, reduce waiting times and improve elective care across Northern Ireland. In line with the priorities set out in the Elective Care Framework, this investment will focus on increasing the elective overnight stay general surgery capacity at Causeway Hospital, Daisy Hill Hospital and South West Acute Hospital.

Given the scale of waiting lists and the need to expand elective care activity on a sustainable basis, I have asked my officials to work with the relevant Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts to progress the plans for surgical expansion. This work will include making better use of existing facilities and working across HSC Trust boundaries to maximise the efficiency of our workforce.