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Kelly O’Shea, who lives with chronic pain, has faced significant challenges in accessing the endometriosis treatment she requires. At 32 years old, she has undergone multiple surgeries, only to be told afterward that the necessary resources, such as specialist surgeons, were unavailable to complete her procedures. Due to ongoing frustration and a lack of alternatives, Kelly ultimately paid £20,000 for her treatment. Her experience highlights a broader crisis facing the care for complex endometriosis cases in Wales, where specialist centres risk closure without adequate support.
Healthcare professionals and gynaecologists are raising alarms about the sustainability of endometriosis services in Wales. Recent changes introduced by the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE)—the national accreditation body—underscore the resource gaps in hospitals providing care for these complex cases. Funding discrepancies between England and Wales further aggravate the issue. Without additional investment to increase capacity and dedicated multidisciplinary teams, services risk losing BSGE accreditation. Such a downgrade could lead to a talent drain among specialists and force many patients to seek costly treatment in England.
At a recent cross-party Senedd group focused on women’s health, experts advocated for either a nationally commissioned service or a revised funding model to reflect the true costs of endometriosis care in Wales. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists similarly urges the Welsh government to commit to sustainable funding for gynaecology services, encompassing sufficient workforce numbers, staff training, and appropriate facilities across the country.
Kelly’s personal story illustrates the broader systemic problems. Living with endometriosis that affects her bowel and bladder, she requires a complex surgical team. Yet, on one occasion after surgery began, she was woken only to learn that a bowel surgeon was unavailable, leaving the endometriosis untreated. In another instance, her surgery was cut short as the operating theatre was needed urgently elsewhere. “I was promised we’d have the whole team there and they’d get me out of pain,” Kelly explained. “But it’s always the same excuse – they weren’t available, or they ran out of surgery time. You just think ‘why are you putting me through an operation if you haven’t got the surgery time?’” These repeated setbacks have left her with increasing scar tissue and diminishing faith in the system.
Cardiff and Vale health board, which runs one of Wales’ specialist centres, recently added it to their risk register due to challenges meeting BSGE accreditation criteria, particularly around dedicated theatre time and specialist staff availability. Lutfi Shamsuddin, an endometriosis surgeon at the centre, highlighted the difficulty in maintaining minimum operation numbers required for accreditation. Centres must have gynaecologists, specialist nurses, colorectal surgeons, urologists, and radiologists allocated to endometriosis care multiple times a year, but currently, the centre depends heavily on ad hoc goodwill from specialists rather than planned support. Losing accreditation would likely force many patients to seek care in England, increasing costs for NHS Wales.
The deputy minister for women’s health in Wales, Delyth Jewell MS, acknowledged the issues and expressed a commitment to establishing a more sustainable regional or national service. She stressed that relying on individual health boards’ goodwill is not viable, emphasizing that delays in diagnosis and treatment for endometriosis are already too long. Meanwhile, Cardiff and Vale’s clinical board director, Abigail Holmes, confirmed efforts to prevent service collapse are underway but noted that survival of the service depends on national commissioning by NHS Wales’ joint commissioning committee, which has yet to secure new investment for 2026-27. Public concern has grown, with a petition in support of the centre’s continuation gathering over 11,000 signatures.
Though Swansea Bay University Health Board’s service is not flagged as at risk, it faces similar challenges regarding theatre capacity, workforce, and multidisciplinary support. David Fluck, executive medical director at Cardiff and Vale, reassured patients of ongoing efforts toward reaccreditation and longer-term improvements, aligning with the women’s health plan. As the situation continues to unfold, the call for cohesive national action becomes increasingly urgent to secure accessible, high-quality care for women affected by endometriosis throughout Wales
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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