Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the provision of endometriosis services in Edmonton and Winchmore Hill constituency.

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

Residents in Edmonton and Winchmore Hill have access to a well-established Enfield-wide community gynaecology and women’s health hub. The North Central London Integrated Care Board invests approximately £1 million per year in delivering this type of care in community settings across Enfield, including provision at the Winchmore Hill Practice itself. The service provides support across a range of gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis, and sees approximately 470 women each month. Care delivered through the community hub is increasingly integrated with both primary care and local acute services, helping women receive earlier assessment and support, with an average wait time of approximately four weeks, significantly shorter than typical hospital waiting times.

Where women require more specialist investigation or treatment via a hospital, the North Middlesex University Hospital is currently the best performing acute site in North Central London for gynaecology services against the 18-week referral-to-treatment standard, with around 64% of women waiting less than 18 weeks. However, we recognise there is more to do and continue to work with providers to reduce waits as part of our wider elective recovery programme.

Primary care is the key point of access for many women in Edmonton and Winchmore Hill, and we are supporting general practitioners (GPs) to access rapid specialist advice where endometriosis may be suspected. Local GPs can use Advice and Guidance services provided by experienced gynaecologists from local trusts and through a national network via a platform called Consultant Connect. This allows GPs to seek expert advice quickly, with 99% of responses received within five days, helping women receive appropriate support sooner and, where possible, closer to home.