Gail Ritchie, 45, was on a waiting list for more than seven years.
The Londonderry woman had been diagnosed with pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) – a condition that can cause pelvic and ovarian veins to pool with blood, enlarge and press against surrounding organs.
“I was in a very dark place, bleeding a lot, low mood, it was debilitating mentally and physically,” Gail said.
“The first couple of years you expect to wait, then I thought I will be seen by three years, then that became four then five years and you start to lose hope.”
After the eight-year milestone was reached, she went private and within four weeks she had an appointment.
“The difference was night and day, for the first time I felt listened to and heard. I described the symptoms, and he confirmed I wasn’t imagining it and there was a solution,” Gail said.
Using her health insurance, she paid about £6,000 for a hysterectomy and started HRT.
A spokesperson for the Western Trust apologised to patients for the delays in their care and said it was part of the Gynaecology Collaborative to implement initiatives which will reduce the number of long-waiting outpatients.