Dr Alan Stout, chair of BMA’s Northern Ireland Council, said: “The latest quarterly waiting lists statistics again show that a country as small as Northern Ireland has a disproportionate amount of its population waiting for outpatient treatment - far longer than they should and far longer than it is safe to do so. It is testament to the hard work of doctors and the wider healthcare teams, working beyond contracted hours, and without a pay award for this year, that waiting lists are slightly reduced from the previous quarter.

“The waiting lists crisis can only be solved by a strong and supported workforce. We can be in no doubt that the situation is going to get considerably worse over the coming months without an agreed budget and without a resolution of doctors’ pay disputes.”