Health Minister Robbie Butler has congratulated the team at the Lagan Valley Hospital regional day procedure unit after it achieved Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) accreditation.

Mr Butler praised the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust team during a visit by Professor Tim Briggs CBE, Chair of the GIRFT Programme and NHS England National Director for Clinical Improvement, Elective and UEC Recovery.

“This is a tremendous achievement, and I congratulate the entire team at Lagan Valley,” said Mr Butler.

"As Health Minister, and as someone who knows Lagan Valley and many of the staff, I am particularly pleased to see the team receive this recognition.

Left to right front row: Lisa McWilliams SPPG, Lynn Darragh SE Trust, Health Minister Robbie Butler and Allison Beal RNOH / GIRFT. Left to right back row: Joanne Edgar, Professor Tim Briggs Chair GIRFT, Professor Mark Taylor DoH and Bev Oates GIRFT. Pic credit: DOH

placeholder image — Left to right front row: Lisa McWilliams SPPG, Lynn Darragh SE Trust, Health Minister Robbie Butler and Allison Beal RNOH / GIRFT. Left to right back row: Joanne Edgar, Professor Tim Briggs Chair GIRFT, Professor Mark Taylor DoH and Bev Oates GIRFT. Pic credit: DOH

“Waiting lists remain much too long, but we must also recognise the progress being made and the thousands of patients who are being seen, diagnosed and treated.

"Lagan Valley shows what can be achieved when staff are supported to deliver safe, high-quality and efficient elective care.

“We must continue to learn from what works, reduce variation and change how services are delivered so patients receive treatment sooner.”

Professor Briggs said: “I have spent many years visiting hospitals across the UK and Ireland, meeting clinical teams and seeing first-hand what works well and where services can do better.

“What that experience tells us is that we cannot accept unnecessary variation when we know there are better ways to deliver care. Long waits carry clinical risk.

"We have a responsibility to patients to reduce that risk, look critically at how services are organised and make changes where the evidence tells us we can do better.

“Lagan Valley demonstrates what can be achieved when elective capacity is protected and teams are collaboratively focused on delivering safe, high-quality and efficient care.

“GIRFT is about turning that learning into action - reducing variation, improving outcomes and helping patients get the right care sooner.”

Regional Clinical Director for Elective Care Professor Mark Taylor said: “The GIRFT summit brings leaders from across our Trusts together around one shared purpose and that’s doing better for patients.

“We have made significant progress, but waiting lists remain too long. We must maintain momentum and continue to reform how elective care is planned and delivered.

“GIRFT helps us identify what works, understand variation and use evidence to drive improvement. Lagan Valley shows the value of dedicated elective capacity, protecting planned care, making effective use of our theatres and teams and helping patients receive treatment sooner.

“The Elective Care Framework gives us the direction for that change. We now need to build on progress and spread effective practice across Northern Ireland.”

Ulster Hospital gynae hub puts women at the heart of care

Minister Butler added: “Reducing waiting times is a Programme for Government priority and will remain a key focus for me as Health Minister.

“There are no quick fixes. We need additional activity, but we also need reform.

"We should be clear about the scale of the challenge, but equally clear about the progress being made.

“I want to thank the Lagan Valley team, colleagues from other Trusts who support this regional service, and staff right across Health and Social Care for their continued commitment to patients.

"Our task is to build on what works, make the changes needed and ensure more patients feel the benefit.”