Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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388. To ask the Minister for Health the progress that has been made on increasing greater access nationally to see and treat gynaecology clinics, specialist menopause clinics and endometriosis services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27166/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Department is working with the HSE’s National Women & Infants Health Programme to improve access to gynaecology services, through the implementation of the Ambulatory Gynaecology Model of Care. This centres on the establishment of one-stop “see and treat” ambulatory gynaecology clinics. An ambulatory care model is a more efficient and effective use of resources than the traditional outpatient model and it is also better for the patient as it reduces the requirement for multiple outpatient appointments. 

The roll out of the Ambulatory Gynaecology Model of Care began in 2020, and at present, 9 of these clinics are operational. This includes the new clinics at the Rotunda, Cork, Galway, Letterkenny, Waterford, and Nenagh which are all operational, as well as the expansion of pre-existing ambulatory gynaecology clinics at the Coombe, National Maternity Hospital (NMH), and Mayo. Work is continuing in relation to recruitment, refurbishment and equipping of the remaining ambulatory gynaecology clinics that were funded in 2021.  

Building on progress to-date, funding has been provided under Budget 2022 which will facilitate the establishment of additional ambulatory gynaecology clinics at the last six hospital sites. This will bring the total number of these clinics to 20 nationally. 

With particular reference to endometriosis, as part of the work of the Women’s Health Taskforce, in April 2021, I announced the expansion of the endometriosis service at Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) to deliver a specialist endometriosis centre for the management and treatment of all forms of endometriosis, with particular focus on advanced and complex cases for which there had previously been no ready access in Ireland. Building on that work, funding has been provided under Budget 2022, which will enable the expansion of the endometriosis service at TUH as well as the establishment of a new service for more complex endometriosis cases at Cork University Maternity Hospital. 

In addition, in April 2022, I announced funding through the Women’s Health Fund for six additional interdisciplinary teams to support holistic treatment of endometriosis within each of the hospital networks.

With regard to menopause, the first of the dedicated specialist menopause clinics opened in the NMH last year. Budget 2022 funding will facilitate the establishment of three additional such clinics, to be located in Cork, Galway and Limerick, as part of the maternity networks in the South-South West, University of Limerick, and Saolta Hospital Groups. 

In addition, in April 2022, I announced funding through the Women’s Health Fund for two further specialist menopause clinics to fully support the eastern seaboard and ensure that there is one such clinic in each maternity network. This will support equity of access for women across Ireland and bring the total number of clinics nationally to six.