Publication of the Quarterly Northern Ireland Outpatient, Inpatient and Day Case, and Diagnostic Waiting Times Statistics - position on 30 September 2025

Date published: 4 December 2025

The waiting times statistical bulletins provide detailed information on the number of people waiting for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment, inpatient/day case treatment, or a diagnostic test at hospitals in Northern Ireland.

*** On 9 November 2023 the South Eastern Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust launched 'encompass' - a new electronic patient record system. The system also went live in Belfast HSC Trust on 6 June 2024, in Northern HSC Trust on 7 November 2024, and in Southern and Western HSC Trusts on 8 May 2025.

Figures sourced from encompass are considered to be 'official statistics in development', which are a subset of Official Statistics in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics. While caution must be exercised when using these figures and they are not directly comparable with legacy (pre-encompass) data, they are a meaningful representation of what they measure and are of sufficient quality for publication and use.***

Waiting Times for a First Outpatient Appointment

• The figures provided are from encompass and are considered to be 'official statistics in development'. Therefore, caution must be exercised when using these figures.
• The draft target for outpatient waiting times states that 50% of patients should wait no longer than nine weeks for a first outpatient appointment, with no patient waiting longer than 52 weeks.
• At 30 September 2025, no HSC Trust met either element of the outpatient waiting times target.

Key Figures

• 542,451 patients were waiting for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment at hospitals in Northern Ireland on 30 September 2025.
• The median waiting time was 64.1 weeks and the 95th percentile waiting time was 305.6 weeks.
• 86.4% (468,485) of patients were waiting more than nine weeks for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment on 30 September 2025.
• 55.6% (301,753) of patients were waiting more than 52 weeks for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment on 30 September 2025.

Waiting Times for Inpatient and Day Case Admission

• The figures provided are from encompass and are considered to be 'official statistics in development'. Therefore, caution must be exercised when using these figures.
• The draft target for inpatient and day case waiting times states that 55% of patients should wait no longer than 13 weeks for inpatient/ day case treatment; with no patient waiting longer than 52 weeks.
• At 30 September 2025, no HSC Trust met either component of the inpatient and day case waiting times target.

Key Figures

• 91,645 patients were waiting for inpatient or day case admission to hospitals in Northern Ireland on 30 September 2025.
• The median waiting time was 35.1 weeks and the 95th percentile was 326.7 weeks.
• 68.9% (63,165 of 91,645) of patients were waiting more than 13 weeks for admission.
• 41.6% (38,166 of 91,645) of patients were waiting more than 52 weeks for admission.

Waiting Times for a Diagnostic Service

• The figures provided are from encompass and are considered to be 'official statistics in development'. Therefore, caution must be exercised when using these figures.
• The draft target for diagnostic waiting times states that 75% of patients should wait no longer than nine weeks for a diagnostic test, with no patient waiting longer than 26 weeks.
• At 30 September 2025, no HSC Trust met either component of the diagnostic waiting times target.

Key Figures

• 227,674 patients were waiting for a diagnostic test in Northern Ireland at 30 September 2025.
• 61.9% (141,038) of patients were waiting more than 9 weeks for a diagnostic test.
• 38.6% (87,897) of patients were waiting more than 26 weeks for a diagnostic test.

Diagnostic Reporting Turnaround Times

• The figures provided are from encompass and are considered to be 'official statistics in development'. Therefore, caution must be exercised when using these figures.
• The draft target for diagnostic reporting times states that all urgent diagnostic tests should be reported on within two days of the test being undertaken.
• During the quarter ending September 2025, no HSC Trust achieved the diagnostic reporting times target.

Key Figures

• 471,185 diagnostic tests were reported on at hospitals in Northern Ireland during the quarter ending September 2025. Of these, 27.4% (129,080) were urgent tests and the remaining 72.6% (342,105) were routine tests.
• Of the 129,080 urgent diagnostic tests, 73.8% (95,238) were reported on within 2 days.