Cllr Evelyn Parsons has called for an urgent recovery plan for gynaecology services at University Hospital Galway after new HSE figures revealed a sharp deterioration in waiting times, with almost three in four women on the outpatient waiting list still without an appointment date and the number waiting more than four years for treatment increasing by 157%.
Cllr Parsons sought the updated figures after raising concerns about gynaecology waiting times with the HSE last year and seeking evidence that access to care for women was improving.
Instead, the latest figures show the situation has worsened. The HSE response shows that 3,333 women are currently on the gynaecology outpatient waiting list at University Hospital Galway. Of these, 2,467 women — almost 74% of the total — do not have an appointment date.
That is 421 more women than the 2,046 reported in November 2025, an increase of 20.6%.
On the active inpatient waiting list, 82 women are now waiting more than two years for treatment, compared with 54 previously, an increase of almost 52%.
Most strikingly, 36 women are now waiting more than four years for treatment, compared with 14 previously — an increase of 157%.
“These are the HSE’s own figures and they are stark,” Cllr Parsons said. “I raised these waiting times last year because they were already unacceptable. I went back looking for evidence that things were improving for women.
“Instead, the figures show that women are waiting longer and that the longest waits have increased dramatically.“On these key measures, women’s healthcare in Galway is going backwards,” she added.
Cllr Parsons said it was important to recognise what the figures mean for the women behind them.
“Behind every number is a woman waiting for healthcare. Many may be living with chronic pelvic pain, heavy or unpredictable bleeding, endometriosis, fibroids, prolapse, incontinence or other conditions that can have a major impact on daily life.
“These conditions can affect work, family life, relationships, mobility, sleep and mental wellbeing. Four years is a huge part of anyone’s life to spend waiting for treatment. A condition being non-cancerous does not mean it is minor or that its impact on a woman’s life is insignificant.”
The HSE in its response states that University Hospital Galway is experiencing “significant challenges” in relation to theatre capacity for gynaecology procedures and says increasing theatre capacity is critical to addressing waiting-list pressures and improving timely access to care.
Cllr Parsons said the HSE’s own assessment raises important questions about how the backlog will now be reduced.
“The HSE acknowledges that theatre capacity is a significant challenge and that increasing capacity is critical.“What women need to know is what additional capacity will now be provided, what targets are being set and when they can expect to see improvement.”
She noted that, when she raised the issue previously, the HSE pointed to measures being taken to help tackle waiting lists, included extra gynaecology theatre sessions in Portiuncula University Hospital being used by Galway consultants to reduce UHG waiting times.
The HSE also reported last year that Portiuncula had reduced its own active inpatient and day-case gynaecology waiting list by 22% since January 2025.
“Portiuncula UH demonstrated that its capacity can play an important role in helping women access treatment sooner. Given the deterioration in the latest UHG figures, it is reasonable to ask what measures are now in place to reduce waiting times and whether additional capacity sessions in PUH will be continued to form part of the solution.
“That is not clear from the latest response, a plan is not clear and it is a question women are entitled to have answered.”
Cllr Parsons is calling on the HSE to publish a dedicated recovery plan for gynaecology services at University Hospital Galway, with targeted action for women facing the longest waits and measurable waiting-list reduction targets
“I consistently raise issues affecting general healthcare and I raise concerns about women’s healthcare, from breast cancer services and menopause care to maternity and gynaecology services, because these services have a profound impact on women’s lives and on the lives of those around them.
“Women’s health cannot be a priority only on paper , in strategies and speeches. It has to mean timely access to healthcare when a woman actually needs it. No woman should be waiting four years for treatment in 2026. The HSE knows there is a problem. Women now need to see a clear plan to fix it,” she concluded.
