Gareth Wilson welcomes £1.95m endometriosis funding for Northern Ireland

DUP MLA Gareth Wilson has welcomed a £1.95 million investment in endometriosis services across Northern Ireland, while calling for clarity on how the funding will be used to benefit patients in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area.

The funding package, announced by Health Minister Robbie Butler, includes £700,000 for Northern Ireland's two Regional Endometriosis Centres in the Belfast and Western Trusts, alongside £1.25 million to be distributed across the five Health and Social Care Trusts to strengthen local services and support the implementation of a new Regional Endometriosis Pathway.

The announcement was made during a visit to the Regional Endometriosis Centre at Belfast City Hospital, where the Minister met staff and observed the dedicated Da Vinci 5 robotic surgery platform for gynaecology in use. Since its launch in May 2026, 130 patients requiring complex surgery have undergone robotic-assisted procedures.

Mr Butler said many women living with endometriosis continue to face lengthy waits for diagnosis and treatment.

"For too many women, endometriosis can affect every aspect of daily life. Many have experienced long waits for diagnosis and treatment while living with significant pain and uncertainty.

"Women deserve better. They deserve timely access to the care and support they need. While there is still much to do, we cannot afford to stand still. Every improvement we make today helps build a better service for the women who rely on it tomorrow.

"This £1.95 million investment is an important step towards improving access to diagnosis, treatment and support. Through investment in specialist services, local care and a regional pathway, women will receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time."

Welcoming the announcement, Mr Wilson said: "I very much welcome this additional investment in endometriosis services. Endometriosis is a condition that can have a devastating impact on those living with it, affecting every aspect of daily life including work, family life, education and overall wellbeing."

He added: "Over the years, I have heard from constituents who have faced long waits for diagnosis and treatment, often while dealing with chronic pain, fatigue and significant disruption to their everyday lives. For many women, simply trying to go about normal daily activities can become an enormous challenge."

Mr Wilson said any measures aimed at reducing waiting times and improving access to care should be welcomed.

"Any investment aimed at improving access to treatment, reducing waiting times and delivering better outcomes for patients is to be welcomed. It is vital that women suffering from endometriosis receive timely diagnosis and access to the support and treatment they need," he said.

The MLA confirmed he has submitted a Written Assembly Question to the Health Minister seeking details on how the investment will be delivered within the Southern Trust area.

"I have submitted a Written Assembly Question to the Health Minister to establish how this welcome funding will be utilised within the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area and what improvements local patients can expect to see as services are enhanced," he said.

The investment builds on wider efforts to improve women's health services and reduce waiting times across Northern Ireland. Earlier funding of £1.8 million for assessment and triage services and £1.9 million for procedural nursing capacity has helped increase access to gynaecology care. Services have also been expanded through additional outpatient clinics, enhanced triage systems, direct-to-test pathways, increased diagnostic capacity and additional laparoscopy and elective theatre sessions.

According to the Department of Health, outpatient gynaecology waiting lists across Northern Ireland have reduced from 54,770 patients in September 2025 to 47,318 in September 2026, while the number of patients waiting more than one year for inpatient and day-case treatment has fallen by 56 per cent.

Speaking about progress being made, Professor Mark Taylor, Regional Clinical Director for Elective Care, said: "Women benefit most when the entire health service works together. Endometriosis care relies on multi-disciplinary teams working across hospitals and services to provide co-ordinated care and support. Alongside advances in robotic-assisted surgery, that collaboration is helping us deliver increasingly complex treatments in less invasive ways and support faster recovery for patients."

Mr Wilson said the latest funding must form part of a broader strategy to address pressures across gynaecology services.

"This investment must also form part of a wider effort to tackle excessive waiting times across all gynaecology services. Too many women continue to face unacceptably long waits for appointments, investigations and procedures. Progress in one area is welcome, but there remains a clear need for sustained investment and reform across gynaecology services as a whole," he said.

Concluding, he added: "Women deserve confidence that when they seek help they will receive the right care, at the right time and without enduring years of uncertainty. I hope this funding marks another step towards achieving that objective."

Mr Butler said the investment represents "an important milestone in efforts to improve women's health services across Northern Ireland" and will help ensure more women receive the care they need, when they need it.