Motion no: 34
This motion calls on ICTU to lead an active campaign to highlight and address the devasting social and economic impact of NHS waiting lists on working people and their families in Northern Ireland.
The NI health service's current "critical situation" comes after almost a decade of worsening waiting lists for elective care.
The number of patients on waiting lists for medical care and surgery appointments currently equates to more than a quarter of the population of Northern Ireland.
The NI Audit Office has stated that: "Waiting list performance levels are significantly worse in Northern Ireland compared with the other UK regions."
SIPTU NIDC calls on ICTU to launch a campaign strategy calling for an end to the two-tier healthcare system in the north, for increased north-south cooperation between health and medical services across the island and for the allocation of urgent funding from the UK Government to both clear patient backlogs and drive longer-term health and social care transformation.
