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Laura Maguire, a 25-year-old woman from Londonderry, has described the intense pain caused by her endometriosis as feeling like “barbed wire inside me and clinging to my organs.” Despite the severity of her discomfort, she is still awaiting surgery, a wait that could extend over several years. In the meantime, she has been placed in an early medicated menopause, a decision she resents since it is forced upon her and not by choice. Large cysts on her ovaries contribute to her pain, and she has been advised that surgical intervention is the only viable solution. Laura also expressed concern about her future fertility, sharing that while she already has a daughter, she and her partner hope to have more children, but the prolonged delay in treatment makes her future uncertain.
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside the uterus, impacting areas such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Laura’s experience reflects broader issues within the healthcare system in Northern Ireland, where gynaecological waiting lists have grown significantly. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) reports that nearly 60,000 women in Northern Ireland are on these waiting lists, an increase of about 18% within a year. Northern Ireland’s waiting times are the longest in the UK, where over 740,000 women face delays in accessing essential gynaecology care. The situation has been described as a crisis, with the cumulative length of the queue symbolically extending nearly 15 miles.
Healthcare experts acknowledge the pressure on services is immense. Dr Alison Wright, president of the RCOG, emphasized that although medical professionals are working tirelessly to meet the demand, capacity is stretched at every stage. She urged the Department of Health in Northern Ireland to publish its long-awaited Women’s Health Action Plan and welcomed the opportunity to collaborate on practical solutions. Earlier in 2024, a review by the Getting it Right First-Time (GIRFT) team strongly criticized the lengthy waits women endure, recommending that health trusts reprioritize cases pending for over a year. Despite this, waiting times remain unacceptably long, with many patients, including Laura, placed behind others deemed more urgent.
Another woman affected by these delays is Marie Mullan from Belfast, who waited two decades for a diagnosis. During those years, she was often told by male doctors that her severe pain was merely “period pain” to be endured. Marie eventually had to medically retire from her teaching career, as her symptoms made continuing to work impossible. After undergoing surgery, which failed to alleviate her symptoms, she has been back on the waiting list for nearly two years. She describes how gynaecological issues like endometriosis are inadequately prioritized despite their profound impact on quality of life. The RCOG has called for 2026 to mark a turning point, demanding urgent action to address the backlog and underlying capacity problems in Northern Ireland’s health service to better support women like Laura and Marie
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