The UK expert appointed by Health Minister James Reilly to help cut waiting lists and trolley waits is to step down from his post.

Dr Martin Connor is to leave his post as senior policy adviser to the Department of Health's Special Delivery Unit (SDU) this later this year, more than a year earlier than expected, according to the Irish Times.

Dr Connor is currently on a three-year contract worth €400,000.

The SDU succeeded last year in making substantial progress in cutting treatment waiting lists and ED trolley waits.

However, irishhealth.com revealed recently that in the first four months of this year, the numbers waiting over six months for treatment had nearly doubled.

Another UK exgternal consultant, Lis Nixon, is remaining with the Department of Health SDU in charge of performance improvement for unscheduled care.

The Department has now launched a special initiative to clear the latest waiting list backlog.

Groundhog Day for our failing health system