Understand
Specialist endometriosis centres in Wales at risk of closure due to resource and funding challenges
Overview
Specialist endometriosis centres in Wales face potential closure or downgrading as they struggle to meet accreditation requirements set by the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE). Gynaecologists and patients have highlighted critical issues including severe shortages in multidisciplinary theatre capacity, reliance on staff goodwill, and funding disparities compared to England. Patients report having surgeries cut short or cancelled due to unavailable specialist surgeons or lack of theatre time, prompting some to pay thousands for private treatment or face long NHS waits. Health boards and clinicians are calling for a nationally commissioned service to ensure sustainable care for women suffering from the condition.
Key points
- Specialist endometriosis centres in Wales are at risk of losing BSGE accreditation, which could lead to downgrading of services and patients being sent to England for care.
- Patients have reported waking from operations to find surgeries incomplete because necessary bowel or bladder specialists were unavailable or theatre time ran out.
- Cardiff and Vale health board added its specialist centre to its risk register due to the threat of accreditation loss and strict criteria regarding dedicated multidisciplinary teams and minimum operation volumes.
- Clinicians and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists state that current funding and resource models are unsustainable and rely heavily on staff goodwill.
- The deputy minister for women's health in Wales agreed that the current setup is unsustainable and stated that options for a regional or national service are being discussed.
- A petition regarding the future of the Cardiff and Vale endometriosis centre has gathered over 11,000 signatures.