Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) speed of diagnosis and (b) treatment of lipoedema.

Lipoedema is a long-term (chronic) condition typically involving an abnormal build-up of fat cells in the legs, thighs and buttocks. The condition occurs almost exclusively in women, although there have been rare cases reported in men. Some estimates suggest that up to 11% of the female population may be affected.

To support clinicians in identifying and treating lipoedema, in May 2014, the Royal College of General Practitioners worked in partnership with the charity Lipoedema UK to develop and publish an e-learning module for general practitioners on the diagnosis and management of lipoedema. The module was endorsed by the Royal College of Nursing.

In May 2017, Wounds UK, an organisation that provides guidance, education and training in wound and skin management, published best practice guidance on diagnosing and treating lipoedema. The guidance can be found at the following link:

www.lipoedema.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/WUK_Lipoedema-BPS_Web.pdf