Nearly 900 Irish women await endometriosis treatment, with waits up to a year, prompting new diagnostic policy.

Nearly 900 women in Ireland are waiting for endometriosis treatment at four major hospitals, with wait times ranging from months to over a year, according to HSE data from September. The Rotunda, Tallaght University Hospital, Cork University Maternity Hospital, and the Coombe Hospital report significant backlogs, with hundreds awaiting care for a condition affecting about one in seven women. Endometriosis, which causes severe pain and has no cure, is being addressed through national specialist centers and regional hubs. In October, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeil announced a new policy to treat suspected endometriosis as likely when symptoms are reported, prioritizing patients’ self-reported pain to improve diagnosis and care.