Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to reduce endometriosis diagnosis times in (a) Slough and the (b) South East.

It is unacceptable that women can wait so long for an endometriosis diagnosis, and we are committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care for endometriosis.

As announced in September 2025, we will establish an “online hospital”, via NHS Online, which will give people across the country, including in Slough and the South East, on certain pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. It will connect patients with clinicians across the country through secure, online appointments accessed through the NHS App.

In January 2026 we announced the nine conditions that NHS Online will initially focus on. Menstrual problems which may be a sign of endometriosis will be among the conditions available for referral to NHS Online from 2027. We’ve chosen some of the conditions with the longest waits and where online consultation works best.

NHS Online will help to reduce patient waiting times, delivering the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years, four times more than an average trust, while enhancing patient choice and control over their care. This will allow women with menstrual problems which may be a sign of endometriosis across the country to reach a diagnosis sooner.

In November 2024 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) updated their guideline on endometriosis, which makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis, and which will help the estimated one in 10 women with endometriosis receive a diagnosis faster. NICE is working with NHS to ensure adoption of this best practice endometriosis care.