To ask the Minister of Health to detail any routine clinical review arrangements that are in place for women who have been waiting more than 52 weeks, for a first outpatient gynaecology appointment.

Trust are currently undertaking a waiting list reduction process for first outpatient gynaecology appointments. To achieve this, a number of steps are currently underway.

Firstly, an administrative validation process is undertaken to cleanse the new outpatient list.

Secondly, each patient is clinically validated by a consultant gynaecologist to ensure that the most appropriate appointment is organised for the patient based on the initial referral to gynaecology.

Following consultant clinical validation, there are various options of appointments for these patients, which include:

A face-to-face outpatient appointment with a consultant; A telephone consultation with a consultant; Onward referral to a nurse / pessary service; Or referral to physiotherapy for further management.

As part of a regional Gynae Collaborative programme aimed at addressing gynaecology waits exceeding three years, many Trusts have initiated telephone consultation clinics for all patients waiting more than three years. Once this cohort is completed and dependent on resources available, the programme will be extended to those waiting over two years and thereafter to patients waiting over one year.