£1.95 million endometriosis funding aims to improve care as women continue to face long gynaecology waits
Monday 02 November 2026
The Northern Trust is to receive £250,000 to strengthen local endometriosis services as part of a £1.95 million investment intended to improve access to diagnosis, treatment and support across Northern Ireland.
The funding comes as women continue to face lengthy waits for gynaecology care, despite reductions reported by the Department of Health in outpatient waiting lists and waits for hospital treatment.
Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body. It can cause severe pelvic pain, fatigue and fertility problems.
How the funding will be shared
The first phase of 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 divided equally between the five Health and Social Care trusts — £250,000 each — to improve local services and support a new Regional Endometriosis Pathway. This includes the Northern Trust, which serves Ballymena and surrounding communities.
The pathway is intended to support access to appropriate care across local and specialist services. The announcement does not set out when patients will begin to see improvements or specify a waiting-time reduction target for endometriosis.
Women living with pain and uncertainty
Health Minister Robbie Butler announced the investment during a visit to the Regional Endometriosis Centre at Belfast City Hospital.
He 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.”
Waiting lists fall but lengthy waits remain
According to the Department, Northern Ireland’s gynaecology outpatient waiting list fell from 54,770 in September 2025 to 47,318 in September 2026 — a reduction of 7,452, or approximately 13.6%. These figures cover gynaecology generally, rather than endometriosis alone.
The Department also reported a 56% reduction in the number of patients waiting more than a year for inpatient and day-case treatment, although the announcement did not specify the comparison period or patient totals for that figure.
In Belfast Trust, the Department said the number of women waiting for a first outpatient gynaecology appointment had fallen by 4%, with nobody now waiting longer than two years and 10 months. The longest wait for inpatient and day-case treatment had reduced from seven years to three years.
The new investment follows £1.8 million for assessment and triage services and £1.9 million for procedural nursing capacity. Wider efforts include additional outpatient clinics, diagnostic services, laparoscopy and elective theatre sessions.
Specialist surgery and coordinated care
During his visit, the Minister saw Belfast City Hospital’s 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. The announcement does not identify how many had endometriosis.
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.”
Capital funding for the robotic platform came through Belfast Health and Social Care Trust Charitable Funds, with revenue support from the Department of Health.
Turning investment into access to treatment
A Regional Health and Social Care Gynaecology Services Forum has been established to oversee improvements. The planned investment also supports implementation of the Getting It Right First Time review of gynaecology services.
The announcement forms part of the Department’s wider waiting-list programme, supported by the Executive’s £80 million Programme for Government funding package for elective care in 2026/27.
For women awaiting endometriosis care, the outstanding question is how quickly the funding will translate into appointments, diagnosis and treatment. The announcement provides a funding allocation for local services, but no timetable for those improvements.
