Official Statistics
All data contained within this publication are designated as official statistics.
Published by: Information & Analysis
Directorate, Department of Health
Statisticians: Adam Robinson, Thomas Cash & Heidi
Rodgers
Contact: statistics@health-ni.gov.uk
Reporting Period: 1 October 2024 - 31 December
2024
Publication Date: 27 February 2025
Date of Next Publication: 29 May 2025
Coverage: Northern Ireland
Frequency: Quarterly
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 and in Northern HSC Trust on 7 November 2024, and its rollout across the other Trusts will continue in 2025. Given the relatively recent transition of Northern Trust to completely digitised health records, no validated data were available for this Trust at the time of publication.
The data which it has been possible to include for South Eastern and Belfast HSC Trusts have been presented separately, as they are not directly comparable with the other Trusts. These 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, they are a meaningful representation of what they measure and are of sufficient quality for publication and use.
Charts and figures for patients waiting for a diagnostic test or diagnostic test report in the Trusts using encompass i.e. South Eastern and Belfast HSC Trusts, are presented separately and figures with time series only include data to 31 December 2024 for the Southern and Western HSC Trusts.
A diagnostic service provides an examination, test, or procedure used to identify a person’s disease or condition and which allows a medical diagnosis to be made. There are three categories of diagnostic test: Imaging test; Physiological Measurement test; and Day Case Endoscopy.
This statistical release presents information on waiting and reporting times for diagnostic services in Northern Ireland and reports on the performance of the Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts against the draft waiting and reporting times targets which state that:
All of the data contained in this release are published in CSV or Excel file format to facilitate secondary analysis, including additional breakdowns by HSC Trust, weeks waiting and reporting times. The data are available at the following link:
Validated data for the Northern Trust were not available at the time of publication.
73,989 patients were waiting for a diagnostic test in the Southern and Western HSC Trusts at 31 December 2024, 0.7% (484) more than on 30 September 2024 (73,505), and 9.2% (6,243) more than on 31 December 2023 (67,746).
66.6% (49,293) of patients were waiting more than 9 weeks for a diagnostic test, compared with 64.4% (47,349) on 30 September 2024 and 62.8% (42,524) on 31 December 2023.
38.5% (28,494) of patients were waiting more than 26 weeks for a diagnostic test compared with 37.8% (27,819) on 30 September 2024 and 34.9% (23,645) on 31 December 2023.
168,365 diagnostic tests were reported on at hospitals in the Southern and Western HSC Trusts during the quarter ending December 2024. Of these, 27.0% (45,446) were urgent tests and the remaining 73.0% (122,919) were routine tests.
Of the 45,446 urgent diagnostic tests, 82.0% (37,251) were reported on within 2 days.
Pure Tone Audiometry data sourced from encompass currently account for appointments differently to legacy (pre-encompass) data and are higher than in previous quarters.
Echocardiography data sourced from encompass are currently under review and are lower than in previous quarters.
96,022 patients were waiting for a diagnostic test in the South Eastern and Belfast HSC Trusts at 31 December 2024.
67.4% (64,721) of patients were waiting more than 9 weeks for a diagnostic test.
44.5% (42,696) of patients were waiting more than 26 weeks for a diagnostic test.
195,019 diagnostic tests were reported on at hospitals in the Belfast and South Eastern HSC Trusts during the quarter ending December 2024. Of these, 22.5% (43,935) were urgent tests and the remaining 77.5% (151,084) were routine tests.
Of the 43,935 urgent diagnostic tests, 69.2% (30,386) were reported on within 2 days.
Validated data for the Northern HSC Trust were not available at the time of publication and are, therefore, not included.
On 31 December 2024, there were 73,989 patients waiting for a diagnostic test in the Southern and Western HSC Trusts.
The number of patients waiting increased by 0.7% (484) since 30 September 2024 (73,505) and increased by 9.2% (6,243) since 31 December 2023.
On 31 December 2024, there were 96,022 patients waiting for a
diagnostic test in the South Eastern and Belfast HSC Trusts
The dashed line in Figure 1 shows time series data for all five HSC Trusts up to 30 September 2023, the last quarter all Trusts were using legacy (pre-encompass) systems. The solid line shows data for Southern and Western HSC Trusts, the only two Trusts still using legacy systems at 31 December 2024.
This line chart shows that the number of patients waiting has risen steadily from 19,893 on 30 September 2013 to 73,989 on 31 December 2024.
Validated data for the Northern HSC Trust were not available at the time of publication and are, therefore, not included.
On 31 December 2024, the largest waiting lists in Southern and Western HSC Trusts were for Non-Obstetric Ultrasound (13,036 patients, 17.6% of the waiting list) and Echocardiography (10,789 patients, 14.6% of the waiting list).
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Pure Tone Audiometry and DEXA Scan each also account for over 5.0% of the waiting list.
Of services with more than 2,000 patients waiting, Cystoscopy had the
greatest proportionate increase with 164.1% (1,523) more patients
waiting on 31 December 2024 (2,451) than on 30 December 2023 (928).
The bar chart above shows the number of patients waiting in Southern
and Western HSC Trusts for each diagnostic service on 31 December 2024,
with markers comparing numbers on 31 December 2023. Only specialties
with at least 2,000 patients waiting are shown.
On 31 December 2024, the largest waiting lists in the South Eastern and Belfast HSC Trusts were for Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Cardiac (16,333 patients, 17.0% of the waiting list) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (14,367 patients, 15.0% of the waiting list).
Pure tone audiometry, Echocardiography and Peripheral Neurophysiology
each also account for over 5.0% of the waiting list.
The bar chart above shows the number of patients waiting in Belfast and South Eastern HSC Trusts for each diagnostic service on 31 December 2024. Only specialties with at least 2,000 patients waiting are shown.
Pure Tone Audiometry data sourced from encompass currently account for appointments differently to legacy (pre-encompass) data and are higher than in previous quarters.
Echocardiography data sourced from encompass are currently under review and are lower than in previous quarters.
Figures in this section do not include the South Eastern, Belfast, or Northern HSC Trusts. Figures for the South Eastern and Belfast Trusts are reported separately in the ‘Key Figures for South Eastern and Belfast HSC Trusts’ section. Validated data for the Northern Trust were not available at the time of publication.
The draft diagnostic waiting times target states that 75% of patients should wait no longer than 9 weeks for a diagnostic test, with no patient waiting longer than 26 weeks.
This target was introduced in 2016/17.
The line and stacked bar charts above illustrate the percentage and number of patients waiting less than 9 weeks for a diagnostic test in Southern and Western HSC Trusts between 30 June 2016 and 31 December 2024.
Across this period the target of 75% of patients waiting less than 9 weeks was not achieved, with the highest proportion under 9 weeks being 76.1% (23,517 of 30,884 patients) on 30 June 2016.
On 31 December 2024, 33.4% (24,696 of 73,989 patients) were waiting
less than 9 weeks for a diagnostic test, a decrease from 37.2% (25,222
of 67,746 patients) on 31 December 2023.
The line and stacked bar charts above illustrate the percentage and number of patients waiting longer than 26 weeks in Southern and Western HSC Trusts for a diagnostic test between 30 June 2016 and 31 December 2024.
Across this period the target of no patients waiting longer than than 26 weeks was not achieved, with the lowest proportion over 26 weeks being 2.5% (787 of 30,884 patients) on 30 June 2016.
On 31 December 2024, 38.5% (28,494 of 73,989 patients) were waiting longer than 26 weeks for a diagnostic test, an increase from 34.9% (23,645 of 67,746 patients) on 31 December 2023.
Figures in this section do not include the Belfast, Northern or South Eastern HSC Trusts. Data for the Belfast and South Eastern Trusts are reported separately in the ‘Key Figures for South Eastern and Belfast HSC Trusts’ section. Validated data for the Northern Trust were not available at the time of publication.
Exclusions From This Analysis
Data on diagnostic reporting is currently only collected by the Department of Health for a subset of imaging and physiological measurement tests. Day case endoscopies are reported on the day of the test and are therefore excluded.
Although statistics in this section can be considered as a general indicator of reporting performance, they do not represent all patients coming off waiting lists above.
There were 168,365 diagnostic tests reported on in Southern and Western HSC Trusts during the quarter ending 31 December 2024, of which 27.0% (45,446) were urgent tests and the remaining 73.0% (122,919) were routine tests.
The total number of tests reported decreased by 1.8% (3,154) from 171,519 during the quarter ending 30 September 2024 and by 2.4% (4,030) from 164,895 reported in the quarter ending 31 December 2023.
The proportion of urgent tests increased from the 25.5% during the
quarter ending 30 September 2024 and from 26.3% during the quarter
ending 31 December 2023.
The stacked bar chart above illustrates the number of tests reported and the number classified as urgent between June 2015 and December 2024.
Aside from a large drop in the number of tests reported during the four quarters from June 2020 to March 2021, the number of tests reported each quarter has risen gradually from 131,150 during the quarter ending June 2015 to 168,365 during the quarter ending December 2024.
The number of urgent tests reported has risen steadily from 17,603 during the quarter ending June 2015 to 45,446 during the quarter ending December 2024. The proportion of tests classified as urgent rose gradually from 13.4% (17,603 of 113,547) in the quarter ending June 2015 to 19.5% (26,550 of 135,895) in the quarter ending March 2020. There was a sharp increase to 26.3% (22,269 of 84,598) in quarter ending June 2020, largely attributable to a decrease in the number of routine tests reported. Since then, the proportion of urgent tests has continued to increase, with 27.0% (45,446 of 168,365) reported in quarter ending December 2024.
Figures in this section do not include the South Eastern, Belfast, or Northern HSC Trusts. Figures for the South Eastern and Belfast Trusts are reported separately in the ‘Key Figures for South Eastern and Belfast HSC Trusts’ section. Validated data for the Northern Trust were not available at the time of publication.
Exclusions From This Analysis
Data on diagnostic reporting turnaround times is currently only collected by the Department of Health for a subset of imaging and physiological measurement tests. Day case endoscopies are reported on the day of the test and are therefore also excluded.
Although statistics in this section can be considered as a general indicator of reporting performance, they do not represent all patients coming off waiting lists above.
The draft reporting target states that all urgent diagnostic tests should be reported on within 2 days of the test being undertaken.
This target was introduced in 2012/13.
Of the 45,446 urgent diagnostic tests in Southern and Western HSC
Trusts reported during the quarter ending December 2024, 82.0% (37,251)
were reported on within 2 days.
The line and stacked bar charts above illustrate the percentage and number of urgent diagnostic tests reported on within 2 days in Southern and Western HSC Trusts between the quarter ending June 2015 and the quarter ending December 2024.
The target has not been met at any point during this period.
The percentage of urgent tests reported within 2 days has decreased from 83.8% during the quarter ending June 2015 (14,756 of 17,603) to 82.0% (37,251 of 45,446) during the quarter ending December 2024. The highest percentage reported across this period was 93.2% during the quarter ending June 2020.
The sources for the data contained in this release are the quarterly Departmental SDR1 and DRTT returns.
SDR1 returns detail diagnostic waiting times and are provided by each of the Health and Social Care Trusts. Diagnostic reporting turnaround time information is detailed in the DRTT return also provided by the Health and Social Care Trusts.
HSC Trusts use the Northern Ireland Picture Archive and Communications System (NIPACS) as the mechanism for managing imaging services. Strategic Planning and Performance Group in the Department of Health has carried out a validation exercise with Trusts to address any data quality issues.
Data for the South Eastern HSC Trust from 9 November 2023 onwards and for the Belfast HSC Trust from 6 June 2024 onwards are sourced from ‘encompass’, which is a new electronic patient record system. The data are considered to be ‘official statistics in development’. The system also went live in Northern HSC Trust on 7 November 2024, and its rollout across the other Trusts will continue in 2025.
A diagnostic service provides an examination, test, or procedure used to identify a person’s disease or condition and which allows a medical diagnosis to be made. There are three categories of diagnostic test: Imaging test; Physiological Measurement test; and Day Case Endoscopy.
The diagnostic waiting time relates to all tests with a diagnostic element. Included are tests that are part diagnostic and subsequently part therapeutic. A therapeutic procedure is defined as a procedure which involves actual treatment of a person’s disease, condition or injury. Patients currently admitted to a hospital bed and waiting for an emergency procedure, patients waiting for a planned procedure, patients waiting for procedures as part of screening programmes, and purely therapeutic procedures are excluded from the waiting times target and from this analysis.
The waiting time for a diagnostic service commences on the date on which the referral for the service is received by the Health Care provider and stops on the date on which the test is performed. Patients who cannot attend have their waiting time recorded from the date they informed the HSC Trust that they could not attend, while patients who miss their appointment have their waiting time adjusted to commence on the date of the missed appointment. Time bands shown relate to the number of completed weeks a patient has been waiting for a diagnostic service. For example, a patient waiting exactly 6 weeks would be included in the 0-6 week time band and a patient waiting 6 weeks and 1 day would be included in the >6-9 week (greater than 6 weeks but waiting no longer than 9 weeks) time band. This also applies to the number of days waited for a diagnostic turnaround.
Some patients will be on more than one waiting list or be on the same waiting list for more than one diagnostic test due to having multiple conditions. Such patients are counted more than once depending on how many times they are waiting.
The diagnostic reporting turnaround time is the time interval between the completion of the diagnostic test and the results of that test being verified or dispatched to the referring clinician in Northern Ireland, whichever is applicable.
Diagnostic reporting times apply to a selected subset of imaging and physiological measurement diagnostic services. These services are: Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Computerised Tomography; Non-Obstetric Ultrasound; Barium Studies; DEXA Scan; Radio-Nuclide Imaging; Pure Tone Audiometry; Echocardiography; Perfusion Studies; Peripheral Neurophysiology; Sleep Studies; and Urodynamics Pressures and Flows and Plain Film X-rays. Day case endoscopies are reported on the day of the test and are, therefore, excluded from diagnostic reporting times.
Two major changes in the data collection of diagnostic waiting lists and diagnostic reporting times occurred in 2010/11 and 2015/16 respectively. Prior to 2010/11, diagnostic waiting information was collected and presented relating to 16 selected diagnostic services, after which the department commenced collection of waiting times data for all diagnostic services. From 2015/16 Plain Film X-Rays were included in reporting data.
Due to these changes, it is only possible to provide trend data from 2010/11 onwards for diagnostic waiting lists and from 2015/16 onwards for diagnostic reporting times.
Figures for reporting years prior to these are still published in the accompanying CSV files, however users should exercise caution in how they are used and are advised against making any comparisons that cross these time points.
A number of diagnostic services may not be provided at all of the five HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland. In this situation, patients from one HSC Trust area will be waiting to be seen at a service provided at another HSC Trust. Users should therefore be cautious in how they use these data. For example, they should not be used to calculate the total number of patients waiting per head of the population residing within each HSC Trust area. Neither should the actual number of patients waiting longer than the recommended waiting time be used as an indicator of poor performance within an individual HSC Trust. Users who require an indication of the latter are advised to refer to the commentary section of the publication which provides an indication of the percentage of total waiters that have been waiting over the maximum recommended waiting times, within each HSC Trust.
A number of the diagnostic services, particularly endoscopies, reported on the SDR1 returns are managed as an admission: either an inpatient admission or a day case. As such, they will be included in both the inpatient and day case waiting time and diagnostic waiting time figures. Due to the risk of multiple counting, these two sets of data should not be combined to give an estimate of the total number of patients waiting for admission or a diagnostic service.
The diagnostic waiting times and diagnostic reporting turnaround times returns (SDR1 Parts 1 and 2, DRTT) include patients living outside Northern Ireland and privately funded patients waiting for diagnostic services in Health Service hospitals in Northern Ireland.
The information on diagnostic waiting and reporting times contained within this publication is currently under review. The Department is considering how this information is sourced and the validation procedures that are carried out with a view to improving the quality. All quality issues identified as part of this review are being addressed on an ongoing basis.
The Department of Health’s policy is to publish revised figures with subsequent statistical releases unless it is decided that the magnitude of the change merits earlier notification.
Due to technical issues, data for cardiology physiological measurement diagnostic tests from the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children have not been available since February 2020. The impact of this on the statistics in this report is minimal. At February 2020, there were 321 patients waiting for this service, this was approximately 7% of the total waiting for Belfast HSC Trust’s cardiology service.
Technical guidance and definitions, as well as notes on how to use the date contained within this statistical release are available at the following link:
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/diagnostic-waiting-times
Data detailed in this publication are also available in CSV or Excel format to aid secondary analysis.
CSV files are available to download at the following link:
Statistics on waiting times for inpatients, outpatients, cancer and emergency care are available at the following link:
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/topics/doh-statistics-and-research/hospital-waiting-times-statistics
Please contact Hospital Waits Information Branch for assistance with accessibility requirements or alternative formats.
Email: statistics@health-ni.gov.uk
This publication is Crown copyright and may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium. Any material used must be acknowledged, and the title of the publication specified.