£1.95m Investment in Endometriosis Services across NI
Health Minister Robbie Butler has announced a £1.95 million investment in endometriosis services across Northern Ireland, aimed at improving access to care, reducing waiting times and ensuring women receive the right treatment at the right time.
Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body and can cause severe pelvic pain, fatigue and fertility problems.
The investment includes £700,000 for Northern Ireland’s two Regional Endometriosis Centres in the Belfast and Western Trusts. A further £1.25 million will be allocated across the five Health and Social Care Trusts to strengthen local services and support 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 surgery.
Minister Butler said: “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.”
It builds on wider work to improve women’s health services and reduce waiting times. Earlier funding of £1.8 million in assessment and triage services and £1.9 million in procedural nursing capacity are helping increase access to gynaecology care across Northern Ireland.
Alongside this, services continue to expand capacity through Gynaecology GP Elective Care Services, additional outpatient clinics, enhanced triage, direct to test pathways and increased diagnostic services. Additional laparoscopy and elective theatre sessions are also supporting earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Progress is already being made. Across Northern Ireland, outpatient waiting lists have reduced from 54,770 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 decreased by 56%.
In Belfast Trust the number of women waiting for a first outpatient gynaecology appointment has reduced by 4%, with no patient now waiting longer than 2 years and 10 months for a first appointment. The longest wait for inpatient and day case treatment has reduced from 7 to 3 years.
Speaking about the progress being made to reduce waiting times for women requiring gynaecology care, 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.”
Minister Butler added: “This investment marks an important milestone in efforts to improve women’s health services across Northern Ireland.
“By strengthening specialist and local services, reducing variation and expanding access to modern treatment options, it will help ensure more women receive the care they need, when they need it.”
The planned investment by the Department of Health also supports the implementation of the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Report for Gynaecology. A Regional Health and Social Care Gynaecology Services Forum is now established to oversee service improvement and regional delivery.
The announcement supports the Department of Health’s wider programme to tackle waiting lists, made possible by the allocation from the Executive’s £80 million Programme for Government (PfG) funding package for elective care in 2026/27.
The total Phase 1 investment in endometriosis services is £1.95 million, comprising: £700,000 for the Regional Endometriosis Centres in the Belfast and Western Health and Social Care Trusts and £1.25 million distributed equally across the five Health and Social Care Trusts to support local service improvements and implementation of the Regional Endometriosis Pathway.
