Western Trust and Derry MLAs welcome investment in Endometriosis healthcare

The Western Trust's Regional Endometriosis Service, based at Altnagelvin Hospital, provides specialist care for women living with endometriosis and is one of only two regional centres in Northern Ireland.

The investment aims to improve access to care, reduce waiting times and help ensure women receive the right treatment at the right time.

A total of £700,000 will be invested in Northern Ireland's two Regional Endometriosis Centres within the Western and Belfast Trusts, with a further £1.25 million allocated across the five Health and Social Care Trusts to strengthen local services and support the implementation of a new Regional Endometriosis Pathway.

Welcoming the announcement, Mark Gillespie, Director of Surgery, Paediatrics and Women’s Health at the Western Trust said: "Endometriosis can have a significant impact on a woman's health, wellbeing, family life and ability to work. We know that women can experience long and difficult journeys before receiving the diagnosis and treatment they need, and we are committed to improving that experience.”

"As one of two Regional Endometriosis Centres in Northern Ireland, our specialist team at Altnagelvin Hospital is committed to providing high-quality, patient-centred care and working collaboratively with colleagues across the region. This investment is the next important step, following our recent accreditation as an endometriosis centre.

"This investment, together with the development of a Regional Endometriosis Pathway, provides an important opportunity to strengthen services, improve access to specialist care and ensure women are supported at every stage of their journey."

Mark continued: “I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our specialist gynaecology team for their dedication and commitment to women living with endometriosis. Their expertise, compassion and determination to continually improve care has been central to the development of our service. This investment is very welcome and will support the team as we continue to strengthen services and improve the experience of women who require our care.”

Welcoming the additional funding, SDLP Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin said: "Women living with endometriosis have faced lengthy waits for diagnosis, difficulties accessing treatment and the frustration of having their pain and symptoms dismissed. Any investment that improves access to specialist care and reduces waiting times is an important step forward.

"However, we must also recognise the need for a wider, joined-up approach to women’s health. I have repeatedly raised the need for a dedicated Women’s Health Strategy and questioned the Minister on when the Women’s Health Action Plan will be published.

"Women’s health cannot be addressed through individual funding announcements alone. We need a clear, comprehensive and properly resourced approach that tackles the inequalities women face in accessing healthcare, from diagnosis through to treatment and ongoing support.”

"Today’s announcement is welcome, but there is still much more work to be done. I will continue to press for for the publication of the Women’s Health Action Plan, work to begin on a Women's Health Strategy and for women’s health to receive the attention, investment and priority it deserves."

Sinn Féin MLA Ciara Ferguson welcomed the introduction of a new gynaecological surgical robot in Belfast, which has already been used in 130 surgeries, including 105 involving women with complex endometriosis. The Foyle MLA said the £1.95 million investment “must deliver real improvements in diagnosis, treatment and access to specialist care”.

"Too many women continue to wait years for a diagnosis and face further delays in accessing the treatment and surgery they need.

“We have written to the Health Minister seeking clarity on the potential for an all-island approach to this specialist service. We must explore every opportunity for collaboration so women across Ireland can benefit from this innovative surgery, regardless of where they live.

“Sustained investment, improved access and meaningful all-island cooperation are essential to ensuring women receive the specialist care they deserve.

“Sinn Féin want to hear directly from people across the six counties about their experiences, to help inform our work to improve endometriosis services and support. If you have experience of endometriosis, please take part in our survey.”

The survey can be accessed at: https://sinnfein.ie/endometriosis/endometriosis-survey-6c/

SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan said the new funding ‘marks a vital step towards improving diagnosis, treatment and support for individuals waiting on care’.

Currently, in Northern Ireland, her pointed out, it takes on average eight and a half years to secure an endometriosis diagnosis.

Mr Durkan said: “For years, I’ve been raising concerns with successive Health Ministers about the unacceptable delays women face in accessing gynaecology services, securing a diagnosis and receiving treatment. The experiences shared with me by women living with this debilitating condition have been heartbreaking; I’ve heard from individuals attending Emergency Departments on a weekly basis because the pain is so severe; women who have isolated themselves completely, watching their social life become smaller and smaller because managing the condition has taken over every facet of their daily lives; to others forced to take out loans or make huge financial commitments in order to access timely private healthcare elsewhere.

"I have consistently pressed for the development of specialist Endometriosis Centres, additional laparoscopic capacity, improved regional pathways and greater investment to address the significant pressures facing gynaecology services.

"I will continue to press the Health Minister and the Department to ensure that this investment delivers for people and that endometriosis care receives the priority it deserves.”