Featured image: A woman is standing in a long corridor. AI-generated image; not a photograph of the reported event.
Kelly O’Shea, a 32-year-old mother from Wales, says she has lost faith in women’s health after paying for endometriosis treatment she needed. Source: bbc.co.uk.
What Happened
O’Shea has lived with chronic daily pain for several years. Her symptoms began in adolescence and have worsened over time.
She has undergone multiple operations related to endometriosis. In each case, she has woken to find the surgery was not completed.
On one occasion, a bowel surgeon was unavailable. On another, the theatre was needed for an urgent case. O’Shea says she was promised a full multidisciplinary team, but the surgeries were repeatedly cut short.
Key Facts
- O’Shea paid for treatment after public services failed to deliver.
- Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. This tissue breaks down monthly and can cause inflammation, pain, and infertility.
- Cardiff and Vale Health Board has added its endometriosis centre to its risk register.
- Specialist centres in Wales are at risk of closure due to lack of dedicated theatre time and staff.
- BSGE accreditation requires named specialists in gynaecology, radiology, urology, and colorectal surgery with at least six dedicated slots per year.
Background: How Endometriosis Care Works
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. This tissue breaks down monthly and can cause inflammation, pain, and infertility.
For deep infiltrating endometriosis — which affects organs like the bowel and bladder — patients are referred to BSGE-accredited centres in Wales.
Referrals are routed by health board: Cardiff and Vale, Cwm Taf Morgannwg, Swansea Bay, and Powys.
Currently, no national service has been established for endometriosis care in Wales.
Why It Matters
Without dedicated resources, specialist centres face accreditation risks. Losing accreditation would mean patients are sent to England, increasing costs for NHS Wales.
Health professionals warn that the crisis in Cardiff could be replicated in other centres across Wales.
At a cross-party Senedd meeting, gynaecologists called for a nationally commissioned service or a revised funding model.
What to Watch Next
The Joint Commissioning Committee has considered endometriosis services in the past, but no investment has been made for the current financial year.
A petition against the closure of the Cardiff and Vale centre has reached a significant number of signatures.
Health board leaders say they are working hard to prevent collapse, but stress that only a national service can ensure sustainability.
Source: BBC News
Learn more about endometriosis and women’s health in the UK: Original report
