Debate contribution: Endometriosis Care

Debate contribution by Mrs Pam Cameron on 29 September 2025.

MLA

Mrs Pam Cameron

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

29 September 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Endometriosis Care

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5139450

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this important debate, and I also welcome the participation of men across the Chamber. Although women are absolutely affected by this condition, it is really important that it not be seen as a women's issue for women to deal with. It is a problem for every one of us, and we should all take responsibility. I therefore welcome the participation of men in the debate. Women do not have it easy throughout their physical lives, from periods and infertility to childbirth and menopause, and everything in between. The very least that women deserve is to be able to access appropriate, timely, compassionate healthcare when they need it most. Endometriosis is a profoundly painful and debilitating disease that can significantly limit mobility and affect vital organs. The reality is stark. We still do not know what causes endometriosis, and there is currently no known cure. That is no comfort to the one in 10 women who are living with this life-altering condition. Treatment can help manage the symptoms, particularly the chronic and often unbearable pain, yet it is wholly unacceptable that women in Northern Ireland continue to face such pain and distress without having access to the appropriate and necessary clinical services. I cannot imagine what it must feel like to live with the condition and then to be told that the average wait for a diagnosis is nine and a half years. That is utterly unacceptable and intolerable. There is a pressing need for a UK-wide strategy: one that equips the NHS with endo-experienced surgeons, fertility specialists, mental health professionals and pain management experts. Women deserve no less as they navigate what is often a devastating and isolating journey. The consequences of delayed diagnosis and inadequate care are clear. Long waits worsen health outcomes. They mean more time off work or school, more familial and financial strain and more invasive medical interventions. Put simply, the earlier that a condition such as endometriosis is diagnosed and treated, the sooner that women can reclaim their lives. I quote the words of those who understand the impact of endometriosis best: our clinicians. The president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said:

"Endometriosis can have significant impacts on every aspect of womens' [sic] lives – and timely diagnosis is crucial to ensuring that treatment and wider support can be in place to limit the progression of disease and manage symptoms."

In addition to the personal toll, there is a serious economic consequence. Without adequate support, many women are forced to take extended leave from work or, in some cases, leave employment entirely. There is an urgent need for better, more accurate and more timely information for women and girls in Northern Ireland. It is simply unacceptable that so many are left feeling anxious, unsupported and forced to conduct their own research just to access basic care. Most women are not asking for very much. They simply want to be listened to, believed and respected. The DUP has consistently called for greater support for endometriosis services, menopause care and perinatal health services. Too many women report that they visit their GP fearing that they will not be taken seriously, and, too often, sadly, they are right. Women in Northern Ireland deserve an appropriate care pathway backed by proper funding and specialist-led services. We therefore support the call for the Health Minister to urgently consider providing a specialist service in line with international best practice. That includes excision surgery delivered within a multidisciplinary care model, which has been shown to deliver best outcomes. As my colleague Alan Robinson said, we also support cross-border cooperation to share expertise and best practice and to improve access to treatment. However, we must also ensure that high-quality care is available locally, here in Northern Ireland. No woman should have to travel overly long distances just to receive the standard of care that she should expect at home. We owe it to every woman who has suffered in silence for far too long to finally act. Women should not have to fight for support, wait nearly a decade for diagnosis or be left to navigate the condition on their own. The care that they need exists; what is missing is delivery. The Department of Health must do better. Today, I call directly on the Minister of Health to listen to the voices of women across Northern Ireland, prioritise endometriosis care and deliver timely, effective treatment —

— and the specialist services that women not only need but have waited far too long for. They have waited long enough.

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

Assessment

Not qualifying

Jev’s structured answers

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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