Breaking News: More than 960 women are currently waiting for specialist endometriosis care across five Irish hospitals, highlighting the continuing pressure on women’s health services in the latest Irish News on HSE waiting lists. The figures show some patients have been waiting more than a year, raising fresh concerns about access to diagnosis, treatment and pain management for a condition that can be life-altering.
According to HSE data released under the Freedom of Information Act, 965 women were on waiting lists for established specialist endometriosis services as of early 2026. Of those, 135 had been waiting longer than 12 months. While that marks a slight improvement from the end of 2025, when 1,045 women were recorded on lists, the numbers still point to major delays in Ireland health services.
Breaking News Ireland: Where the longest endometriosis waits are
The hospital with the largest waiting list is Tallaght University Hospital, where 349 women are awaiting care. The figures indicate long delays for a significant share of patients there, including 71 waiting more than a year.
Across the five specialist centres, the waiting list breakdown is as follows:
- Tallaght University Hospital: 349 patients
- Rotunda Regional Endometriosis Service: 270 patients
- Cork University Maternity Hospital: 167 patients
- Coombe Regional Endometriosis Service: 127 patients
- University Maternity Hospital Limerick: 52 patients
For readers following Dublin News, Cork News and Limerick News, these figures show that pressure is not confined to one region. The strain is being felt across several of the country’s key specialist women’s health centres.
Hospital-by-hospital snapshot
At Tallaght, 88 women are waiting between six and nine months, while 71 have been waiting over a year. At the Rotunda, 64 patients have also crossed the 12-month mark, with others spread across shorter waiting periods.
Cork University Maternity Hospital has 167 women waiting, though most there are in the under-six-month category. The Coombe has 127 women on its list, with waits extending up to nine months for many patients. In Limerick, 52 women are awaiting care, with most waiting less than three months.
That regional variation matters. It suggests some centres are coping better than others, but it also shows national capacity remains limited when demand rises.
What is endometriosis and why this Ireland News matters
Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside the uterus. It can cause severe pelvic pain, painful periods, fatigue, fertility problems and a major impact on daily life. For many women, delayed care can mean living with debilitating symptoms for months or even years.
This Latest News Ireland story matters because endometriosis is not rare. It is believed to affect as many as one in seven women in Ireland. Despite that, diagnosis and treatment pathways have often been criticised as slow and inconsistent.
There is currently no known cure for endometriosis. Treatment can include pain relief, hormone therapy and surgery, depending on the severity of symptoms and the patient’s needs. For those waiting on specialist assessment, delays can affect work, education, family life and mental health.
Who is affected by the waiting lists?
The people most directly affected are women and patients with suspected or confirmed endometriosis who need specialist review, imaging, surgery planning or long-term management. Families are also impacted, especially where chronic pain affects caring responsibilities, employment or fertility treatment timelines.
From a wider Public Services Ireland perspective, the figures also reflect a system under pressure. Women’s health has been a recurring issue in Irish Politics and Health News Ireland, with repeated calls for better access, faster diagnosis and stronger investment in specialist care.
HSE News: What the official data does and does not show
The HSE has said it is not yet possible to determine with absolute accuracy the total number of women nationally awaiting endometriosis care across all acute gynaecology services. That is an important limitation in this News Update.
In other words, the 965 patients cover five established specialist services, but they may not represent every woman in the country waiting for endometriosis-related treatment or assessment. Some may still be in general gynaecology pathways or awaiting referral to a specialist unit.
The HSE said work is underway to improve how endometriosis-specific waiting list data is collected and separated from broader gynaecology figures. A pilot initiative is scheduled to begin in the second quarter, which could provide a clearer national picture.
Why better data matters
Better reporting is about more than administration. If policymakers do not know the full scale of demand, it becomes harder to plan staffing, theatre capacity, outpatient clinics and regional referral pathways.
Accurate data would also help patients and campaigners track whether waiting times are genuinely improving, and whether investment in women’s health is reaching frontline services.
Background: pressure on women’s health services in Ireland Today
This Breaking News Ireland report sits within a broader debate about access to women’s healthcare. In recent years, the Irish Government and the HSE have faced scrutiny over waiting lists, regional inequalities and delayed specialist treatment in areas including gynaecology, maternity care and fertility services.
The latest figures show some progress compared with late 2025, when 1,045 women were waiting for care in these services. But a reduction in the headline number does not remove the reality that more than 100 patients are still facing waits of over a year.
Another notable detail is that at least 10 people travelled abroad for endometriosis surgery in the past six months. That underlines the consequences when treatment is not available quickly enough at home. For some patients, the delay may be so severe that they seek private or overseas options if they can afford them.
What happens next?
The next key development will be whether the HSE’s planned data pilot leads to a fuller national view of endometriosis demand. That could shape future decisions on capacity, staffing and funding.
Readers watching What’s Happening in Ireland in the health sector should focus on several issues:
- Whether waiting lists continue to fall over the coming months
- Whether long waits of more than a year are reduced
- Whether additional specialist services or clinics are announced
- Whether the HSE publishes more complete national endometriosis data
For patients, advocacy groups and clinicians, the central issue is straightforward: quicker access to diagnosis and treatment can reduce suffering and improve quality of life.
Frequently asked questions
How many women are waiting for endometriosis care in Ireland?
HSE figures show 965 women are waiting across five established specialist endometriosis services.
How many have been waiting more than a year?
A total of 135 women have been waiting longer than 12 months.
Which hospital has the biggest waiting list?
Tallaght University Hospital has the highest recorded total, with 349 women on its waiting list.
Is the situation improving?
The recorded total is lower than the 1,045 women waiting at the end of 2025, but delays remain significant.
Does the figure cover the whole country?
Not fully. The HSE has said it cannot yet determine the national total across all acute gynaecology services with complete accuracy.
Conclusion
This Breaking News story on endometriosis waiting lists shows modest improvement in headline numbers, but the wider picture remains troubling. Hundreds of women are still waiting months for specialist care, and more than 100 have been waiting over a year. Until Ireland has clearer national data and stronger specialist capacity, endometriosis will remain a serious test of how effectively the health system responds to women in pain.
