She was speaking following media coverage of the experience of women with endometriosis, who have been left living in excruciating pain whilst being stuck on waiting lists for treatment.
Miss McAllister said, “I want to pay tribute to the almost 60,000 women who the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have reported as being left unfairly languishing on gynaecology waiting lists in Northern Ireland.
“We are almost two years on from the former Health Minister making a public commitment to a Women’s Health Action Plan in response to an Alliance Party motion in the Assembly, yet there is still no indication of when this plan is to come forward.
“During this time, gynae waiting lists have increased, as have the number of women who live in extreme pain in a daily basis due to conditions such as endometriosis.
“In response to queries on the lack of progress around women’s health, the Department of Health simply continues to point to an Action Plan being in development with work ongoing to implement the recommendations from past reports – meanwhile, women are not seeing any improvement in care.
“Working alongside medical professionals, I have repeatedly highlighted practical suggestions around how new technologies such as robotic-assisted surgeries can be utilised to speed up access to treatment for women, yet progress on this is slow.
“The Minister of Health must urgently explain to MLAs and women across Northern Ireland exactly how he plans to tackle the backlog of gynae waiting lists and ensure that women receive the medical treatment they urgently need.”
Miss McAllister said, “I want to pay tribute to the almost 60,000 women who the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have reported as being left unfairly languishing on gynaecology waiting lists in Northern Ireland.
“We are almost two years on from the former Health Minister making a public commitment to a Women’s Health Action Plan in response to an Alliance Party motion in the Assembly, yet there is still no indication of when this plan is to come forward.
“During this time, gynae waiting lists have increased, as have the number of women who live in extreme pain in a daily basis due to conditions such as endometriosis.
“In response to queries on the lack of progress around women’s health, the Department of Health simply continues to point to an Action Plan being in development with work ongoing to implement the recommendations from past reports – meanwhile, women are not seeing any improvement in care.
“Working alongside medical professionals, I have repeatedly highlighted practical suggestions around how new technologies such as robotic-assisted surgeries can be utilised to speed up access to treatment for women, yet progress on this is slow.
“The Minister of Health must urgently explain to MLAs and women across Northern Ireland exactly how he plans to tackle the backlog of gynae waiting lists and ensure that women receive the medical treatment they urgently need.”