Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure that people from (a) ethnic minority and (b) low socio-economic backgrounds have adequate access to endometriosis diagnosis services.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.

The 10-Year Health Plan described our reimagined National Health Service, which will be designed to tackle inequalities in both access and outcomes, as well as to give everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, the means to engage with the NHS on their own terms.

We are committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis for all women, and we have already taken action to address this.

£25 million has been invested in women’s health hubs to improve care for common gynaecological and urogynaecological conditions, with care for endometriosis outlined as a core service within the women’s health hubs. The women’s health hubs aim to address gaps in provision and long waiting times, specifically for those from low socio-economic background or those who are from minority ethnic backgrounds.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has updated their guidelines on endometriosis in November 2024, with two new treatments having been approved, and we are investing £5.6 million into research to support our efforts in gynaecology and are taking action to cut gynaecology waiting lists through our Elective Reform Plan.