Debate contribution: Endometriosis Care

Debate contribution by Ms Sinéad McLaughlin on 29 September 2025.

MLA

Ms Sinéad McLaughlin

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

29 September 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Endometriosis Care

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5139436

Read the official Assembly record

Text

A few months ago, I joined other Members in a round-table discussion in the Long Gallery on endometriosis hosted by the all-party group (APG) on women's health. On that day, I heard some of the most heartbreaking stories from women living with the condition, one of which — Anne's story — Linda read out today. That was absolutely heartbreaking. There was not a dry eye in the room. Every story was different, but one thing was consistent: those women were being failed by our health service. They were told that their pain was not real, that it was in their head or that it was just women's things. Some even underwent surgery in an attempt to ease their pain only to be left in unimaginable agony. As the motion states, at least one in 10 women across the island lives with endometriosis. That represents over 200,000 women across the island, which is a significant number. Yet, it can take up to 10 years on average for a diagnosis. Think about that: a decade or more of lost education, missed work, disrupted family life and untreated suffering. For me, this is very personal. I first experienced my symptoms back in the 1980s, when I was 16. I was not diagnosed until the 1990s at the age of 27. Tragically, as I listened to people discussing their situation in 2025, I found that nothing had changed. When you look at the advancements in healthcare from the 1980s and 1990s to today, you see that the world is unrecognisable but that things in women's healthcare have not changed. That is just a tragedy. The economic cost is also enormous. Studies across the UK and Ireland have shown that delayed diagnosis and inadequate treatment lead to repeated GP visits, hospital admissions, lost productivity and workforce absenteeism. It sometimes keeps families in poverty, because there is a real barrier for women in going to work and contributing. Every year of untreated endometriosis represents a real financial and social cost to society. International comparisons show that, when specialist-led, multidisciplinary care is available, outcomes improve dramatically. Countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Australia have structured care pathways that reduce the time to diagnosis and improve treatment success. They are chronic diseases that, when left undiagnosed and untreated, have absolutely life-changing impacts. Women in Northern Ireland deserve nothing less than structured care pathways. Specialist-led excision surgery that is delivered in a multidisciplinary model provides the best outcomes. That is the standard that women here should have access to. It means that we need specialised services, clear targets for diagnosis and treatment and a recognition that endometriosis is a serious, chronic disease. The issue highlights something that is even bigger: the systemic failure in women's healthcare. Women's healthcare is the poor relation of the health system. There is no doubt about that. Women's health is not prioritised and does not get investment. We are the only region across these islands without a women's healthcare strategy. Yes, an action plan is great and is welcome, but it is no substitute for long-term commitment, accountability and structural change. The cost of doing nothing in lost productivity, repeated interventions and human suffering is far greater than the cost of investing in care now. Surveys from Nothing About Us Without Us and Derry Well Women show that women are not listened to, their pain is minimised and services are often inaccessible. Almost 80% of women reported feeling unheard by health professionals, and more than 30% said that the services that they needed were "inaccessible" or "very inaccessible". Better women's health means earlier diagnosis, fewer emergencies, fewer repeat interventions —

— and women being able to participate fully in education, work and family life. We must do better, and I look forward to hearing the Minister's response.

634 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:18 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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