Endometriosis UK welcomes the £1.95 million investment in endometriosis services across Northern Ireland announced by Health Minister Robbie Butler. It is an encouraging step towards improving access to diagnosis, treatment, and support for those living with endometriosis.
The funding package 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.
We hope this investment marks the start of further progress. With the forthcoming Women’s Health Action Plan, there is a real opportunity to build on this commitment and ensure endometriosis is given the priority it needs across women’s health services.
As Secretariat to the All-Party Group (APG) on Women’s Health in the Northern Ireland Assembly, we will continue to work with Ministers, officials and elected representatives to champion the needs of those living with endometriosis and help drive the wider improvements in women’s health that are urgently needed.
We hope that this investment translates into meaningful improvements for those with endometriosis, wherever they live in Northern Ireland. This must include action to reduce long waits for diagnosis and treatment, improve access to specialist and primary care, and develop workforce capacity to ensure delivery.
We look forward to continuing to work constructively with Ministers and officials, ensuring the lived experiences of those with endometriosis are at the heart of both the implementation of this funding and the wider Women’s Health Action Plan. We hope this announcement is the beginning of sustained investment and ambition to deliver the step change in endometriosis care that is so urgently needed.