‘It’s like barbed wire,’ says woman on gynae waiting list

A woman awaiting treatment for endometriosis said the pain she experiences is like barbed wire in her body.

Laura Maguire, 25, from Londonderry, has entered an early medically induced menopause as she awaits surgery – a wait she was told could take several years.

According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG), 59,733 women in Northern Ireland are now on waiting lists for gynecological treatment, an increase of almost 18% in 12 months.

The Department of Health has previously said it accepts the findings of previous expert reports that gynecology waiting times are unacceptable and that these are being included in an ongoing review of hospital waiting lists.

Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other places, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes and other organs.

“The pain is excruciating, at worst it’s like barbed wire inside me, clinging to my organs. I'm so sick that I can often spend days in bed,” Maguire said.

She said she was furious that she had to go through an early medicated menopause because there were too many people ahead of her on the surgery waiting list.

“I’m only 25 and I do this to my body without any choice,” she said.

“I need surgery to remove the disease, but the waiting lists are too long. I was told there were too many more serious cases ahead of me.”

She said large cysts on her ovaries also caused pain and she was advised surgery was her only option.

“My partner and I want to have more children,” she added.

“I have a little girl, but as a young woman I want to make sure I have the opportunity to get pregnant again – at this stage I just don’t know.”

New RCOG analysis shows that queues for gynecological treatment in the UK “remain in crisis” at the start of 2026, with waiting times in Northern Ireland remaining the highest.

If those waiting at five Northern Ireland health centers stood shoulder to shoulder, the queue would be more than two miles longer than in November 2024, stretching almost 15 miles, a spokesman said.

Across the UK, 743,312 women are waiting for essential gynecological care.

Dr Alison Wright, RCOG president, said its members are working tirelessly to meet growing demand, but pressure on different services means capacity is limited at every stage of care.

“With the right investment, there is a real opportunity to change this situation for women.

“By reprioritizing the health needs of 51% of the population, we can make real improvements in women's lives by ensuring they can access the high-quality care they need, when they need it,” she said.

In 2024, a major review of gynecology services by the Getting It Right First-Time Team (GIRFT), a medical expert group, says health trusts need to reconsider the priorities of those waiting more than a year for surgery.

His report criticized the length of time women have to wait.

Following a BBC News NI investigation into gynecologist waiting times in 2023, the RCOG described the system as “close to the edge“.

Consultant surgeon Hans Nagar has previously said that “the physical and psychological impact of waiting on women should not be underestimated.”

Nagar also said that the system for dealing with gynecological diseases such as endometriosis is not working and that women in NI “get a unfair deal“.

More than half (56%) of patients are now waiting longer than 52 weeks, according to the latest estimates across the UK.

Women who spoke to BBC News NI said waiting up to five years just to be seen by a consultant, and even longer for surgery, is not unusual.

Among those waiting is Marie Mullan from Belfast, who said she had waited 20 years for a diagnosis.

“At the time, the male doctors basically told me it was just menstrual pain and I would have to live with it,” she said.

Mullan, who worked as a teacher, was forced to retire for health reasons because she said she was physically unable to work.

“My life was ruined waiting for treatment for endometriosis,” she said.

“The pain is chronic: at one stage I was so bloated and couldn’t eat that they thought I had ovarian cancer.

“Gynecological problems, and endometriosis in particular, are simply not a priority – they are debilitating and life-changing but health services simply do not take them seriously.”

Although she eventually had surgery, she said it was not successful and she has been on the waiting list again for almost two years.

The RCOG said 2026 should be a turning point for women waiting for gynecological care.

He called for faster and more decisive action to support women already waiting and address the underlying capacity issues causing long delays in Northern Ireland.