Funding for Women’s Health Unit approved

FUNDING confirmation has been received by Tallaght University Hospital for the development of a community-based Women’s Health Unit.

The development will see the expansion of the hospital’s gynaecological services into a 1,200sqm space in Tallaght Cross West, facilitating an additional 3,000 out-patient appointments per year.

Currently, the local hospital’s gynaecological services, which are limited on space and resources, are based within the Outpatient Department.

However, the move to a new, dedicated 1,200sqm space within the community is expected to reduce outpatient appointment times for gynaecological services and related procedures to less than three months.

It will also increase surgical procedures for patients with advanced endometriosis ‘almost threefold’, from an average of 80 patients per year to 224.

This week, the hospital confirmed to The Echo that it had in recent days received funding confirmation from the HSE to progress with the development of the Women’s Health Unit.

The new unit in Tallaght Cross West will provide a suite of investigations, such as pelvic ultrasound, diagnostic hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy.

According to the hospital, the clinics will provide ‘see and treat’ services for abnormal uterine bleeding or suspicious cervix symptoms, a GP training room and first-line incontinence services.

The hospital said: “[When fully operational this unit] will reduce outpatient appointment times for gynaecological services and related procedure waiting lists to less than three months.

“A ‘see and treat’ approach will be implemented for all appropriate Outpatient appointments – this is not currently possible due to limited physical space and resources.”

The hospital added that the unit will also have full provision for management of patients with chronic and/or advances endometriosis.

As reported previously, Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) has been selected as one of two supra regional centres in Ireland for advanced endometriosis.

The new unit will see surgical procedures for patients with advanced endometriosis increasing ‘almost threefold from an average of 80 patients per year to 224’, the hospital said.

“It is estimated that approximately 24 of these patients will require surgery with colorectal/urology involvement,” the hospital added.

“Additional consultant posts funded by NWIHP [National Women and Infants Health Programme] will fully service this requirement, resulting in minimal wait times for patients.

“The Women’s Health Fund has supported annual funding of all additional posts required, and recruitment for these posts has already started.”

On Monday of this week, the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly visited the local hospital to meet with the multi-disciplinary team in place to care for patients with endometriosis.

Minister Donnelly visited Tallaght on the same day he announced the development of the National Endometriosis Framework, which sets out for the first time a defined clinical care pathway for women with endometriosis.

Developed by the HSE’s National Women and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP), the Framework will be implemented on a phased basis, commencing this year.

According to the Department of Health, the Framework is a ‘significant development’ in the approach of endometriosis care, as it ‘ensures women will receive timely, effective treatment at the appropriate level of intervention’.

The team in Tallaght presented Minister Donnelly with a yellow lapel pin, the symbol for World Endometriosis Month, which is being held throughout March.