NI Health Minister Announces £500,000 Support While Waiting Grant Scheme to Help Patients on Record Waiting Lists
Health Minister Robbie Butler has announced a £500,000 investment to continue the Support While Waiting Grant Scheme for the 2026-27 period, providing funding to voluntary and community organisations to support patients on Northern Ireland's record-breaking waiting lists with practical, emotional, and mental health assistance while they await treatment — a scheme that previously supported over 2,400 patients and their families across the region.
Background
Northern Ireland's hospital waiting lists have reached a record high of 542,451 patients waiting for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment, with no Health and Social Care trust meeting its ministerial waiting time targets and some patients facing waits of up to 305 weeks — nearly six years. The scale of the waiting list crisis is without precedent in the history of the Northern Ireland health service, and it reflects decades of underinvestment in health infrastructure, the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the particular challenges of delivering health services in a region with a dispersed rural population and a complex political environment.
The Support While Waiting Grant Scheme was established in 2025 under then-Health Minister Mike Nesbitt as a recognition that patients on waiting lists need support in the interim period before they receive treatment. The scheme provides funding to voluntary and community organisations to deliver free, community-based support services to patients waiting for a range of treatments, including neurology, orthopaedics, gynaecology, and mental health services, as well as specialised support for children with disabilities and complex needs.
The scheme is based on the recognition that waiting for treatment is not a passive experience. Patients on long waiting lists often experience deteriorating health, increasing anxiety, and a sense of abandonment by the health system. Community-based support can help to maintain patients' health and wellbeing during the waiting period, reducing the risk of deterioration and improving the likelihood of a positive outcome when treatment is eventually received.
Key Developments
Health Minister Robbie Butler announced the continuation of the scheme on Thursday, September 25, with the application window opening on the same day. Registered charities operating in Northern Ireland are eligible to apply for grants ranging from £5,000 to £30,000, with all grant funding required to be spent by March 31, 2028. Projects are required to provide services to patients free of charge, ensuring that the support is accessible to all patients regardless of their financial circumstances.
In the previous funding round, 20 organisations were awarded grants, collectively supporting over 2,400 patients and their families. Minister Butler described the scheme as a vital acknowledgment that patients require support during the interim period before receiving treatment. "While we remain committed to reducing waiting lists and increasing capacity, we know that patients need help now," he said. "This scheme provides that help through the voluntary and community sector, which has a unique ability to reach people in their own communities and to provide support in a way that feels personal and human."
The application window for the 2026-27 cycle closes at 12 noon on Friday, November 6, 2026. Organisations that received funding in the previous round are eligible to reapply, and the Department of Health has encouraged new organisations to consider applying, particularly those working with patient groups that have not previously been supported by the scheme.
Why It Matters
The Support While Waiting Grant Scheme is significant because it represents an honest acknowledgment by the Department of Health that the waiting list crisis cannot be resolved quickly and that patients need support in the meantime. This is a more honest and humane approach than simply promising to reduce waiting lists — a promise that has been made and broken by successive health ministers over many years. The scheme also reflects the growing recognition of the role that the voluntary and community sector can play in supporting the health service, particularly in areas where statutory services are stretched beyond their capacity. The £500,000 investment is modest relative to the scale of the waiting list crisis, but it is a meaningful contribution to the wellbeing of the 2,400-plus patients who will benefit from the funded services.
Local Impact
The Support While Waiting Grant Scheme has supported organisations across Northern Ireland, from Belfast to rural areas of Fermanagh and Tyrone. In the previous funding round, organisations working with patients waiting for orthopaedic treatment, mental health services, and children's disability services were among those that received grants. The scheme has been particularly valuable in areas where the voluntary and community sector is strong and where statutory services are most stretched — including parts of the Western and Northern Trust areas, where waiting lists are among the longest in Northern Ireland. For patients in these areas, the community-based support provided through the scheme can make a significant difference to their quality of life during what can be a very difficult period.
What's Next
The application window for the Support While Waiting Grant Scheme closes on November 6, 2026. Successful applicants will be notified in December, with funding expected to be in place by January 2027. The Department of Health is also expected to publish its 10-year Capital Plan in the coming months, following the resolution of the Stormont budget deadlock, with significant investment in health infrastructure expected to be a central element of the plan. The Stormont Health Committee is expected to hold a hearing on the waiting list crisis in October, at which Minister Butler will face questions about the government's strategy for reducing waiting times and improving access to care.
