When you dig down into the waiting lists in detail there are 12,000 adults waiting for general surgery as a day case or inpatient.

The orthopaedics waiting list is 10,500 people with 1,500 of these waiting over one and a half years for treatment.

Over 26,500 people are waiting for a gastrointestinal check.

The breakdown of the outpatient waiting list is a shocker.

There are 67,526 people waiting to be seen by a consultant for the first time for an outpatient clinic assessment for orthopaedics.

Over 10,000 of these people are waiting over a year and a half, often in pain, unable to work and their quality of life in tatters.

So it’s no wonder the number of people seeking treatment abroad under the Cross Border Healthcare Directive is increasing.