Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the level of awareness of endometriosis among doctors.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Women’s Health Strategy sets out our ambitions for all healthcare professionals to be well informed about women’s health, and supported to provide women with the best care possible.
Women’s health is a core competency for general practitioners (GPs) and is included in the Royal College of General Practitioners’ (RCGP) curriculum for trainee GPs. The RCGP has developed a ‘Women’s Health Library’, which brings together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health topics including on endometriosis.
The General Medical Council will introduce the Medical Licensing Assessment from the academic year 2024/2025. This includes women’s health topics such as endometriosis, encouraging a better understanding of endometriosis for doctors starting their careers.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of treatment for women with endometriosis.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
No specific assessment has been made. Menstrual health and gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis, is a priority in the Women’s Health Strategy. We are investing £25 million in women’s health hubs, so that women can get better access to care for menstrual problems, including women with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is updating its recommendations on diagnosing endometriosis and surgical management of endometriosis if fertility is a priority. NICE will provide information on the expected publication date of its final guidance in due course.
Additionally, NHS England is updating the service specification for severe endometriosis, which defines the expected standards of care. This update will ensure that specialist endometriosis services have access to the most up-to-date evidence and advice and will improve standards of care for women with severe endometriosis.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for (a) diagnosis of and (b) care for people with endometriosis.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are investing £25 million in women’s health hubs, so that women can get better access to care for menstrual problems, including for women with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis. Women’s health hubs will play a key role in improving care for common gynaecological and urogynaecological conditions, with care for endometriosis outlined as a core service within the women’s health hubs.
Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) also play an important part in tackling the backlogs of people waiting for diagnostic tests, which includes checks, tests, and scans for patients on gynaecological pathways, including those with endometriosis. As of October 2023, there are 135 CDCs currently operational which have delivered over five million additional tests since July 2021.
The elective recovery plan set clear ambitions to eliminate long waits for planned National Health Service treatment. The overall vision is to eradicate waits of longer than a year for elective care by March 2025. We are making good progress on tackling the longest waits; in July 2022 the NHS virtually eliminated waits of over two years and have since worked hard to reduce the number of patients waiting more than 18 months by over 90%, since the September 2021 peak.
The NHS will triage patients waiting for elective care, including surgeries, through three key stages. Firstly, through clinical prioritisation, ensuring the order in which patients are seen reflects clinical judgement on need. Secondly, by targeting those waiting the longest, and thirdly by increasing the number of cancer referrals, ensuring those patients who have not yet presented to services are included.
Increase funding for treatment and research into endometriosis
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There is a lack of support or check ups for endometriosis. The disease is under researched, without a cure and can be left to worsen and can cause severe, chronic pain. More funding is needed to improve treatment options and increase research.
Found: Increase funding for treatment and research into endometriosis
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS guidance webpage entitled Getting an IUD (intrauterine device) or copper coil fitted or removed, last reviewed on 15 February 2024, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the extra pain relief that can be made available during the fitting of intrauterine devices on levels of people with endometriosis having intrauterine devices fitted.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Long-acting reversible contraceptive fitting services are commissioned at a local level to meet the needs of the local population. Local authorities and integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring services are delivered in accordance with quality and safety standards and clinical guidance.
The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH), who are responsible for the clinical issue of pain relief during intrauterine contraception procedures, have published updated clinical guidance for healthcare professionals on pain management during these procedures. FSRH guidance is clear that healthcare professionals should work in partnership with women to establish the best strategies for reducing anxiety, and the most effective interventions for minimising pain during intrauterine contraception procedures.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
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 reduce the average time between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis for people with endometriosis.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Women’s Health Strategy sets out our ambition for improving care for women and girls with endometriosis, with a reduced diagnosis time for those with severe endometriosis. We are investing £25 million in women’s health hubs, so that women can get better access to care for menstrual problems, including for women with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis.
Through the NHS Delivery Plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care we are increasing activity through dedicated and protected surgical hubs that conduct planned procedures only. Surgical hubs are focusing on providing high-volume low-complexity surgery such as laparoscopies for suspected endometriosis.
Endometriosis can only be definitively diagnosed through a laparoscopy under general anaesthetic, and so for women with less severe endometriosis it may be more appropriate to treat symptoms of endometriosis with a presumed diagnosis rather than with a definitive diagnosis, avoiding the need for an invasive procedure.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of treatment provision for people with endometriosis.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
No specific assessment has been made. Menstrual health and gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis, is a priority in the Women’s Health Strategy. We are investing £25 million in women’s health hubs, so that women can get better access to care for menstrual problems, including women with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is in the process of updating its recommendations on diagnosing endometriosis and surgical management of endometriosis if fertility is a priority. NICE will provide information on the expected publication date of its final guidance in due course.
Additionally, NHS England is updating the service specification for severe endometriosis, which defines the expected standards of care. This update will ensure that specialist endometriosis services have access to the most up-to-date evidence and advice and will improve standards of care for women with severe endometriosis.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to increase understanding amongst employers of endometriosis and its impact on people affected.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Women’s Health Strategy sets out ambitions that health conditions and disabilities are no longer a barrier to women’s participation in the workplace. It also sets out our ambitions for tackling taboos, including endometriosis, that can surround women’s health in the workplace, and for improving support for employers and colleagues.
As part of the Health and Wellbeing Fund 2022-25, the Department of Health and Social Care has awarded almost £2 million across 16 organisations to provide a holistic support offer to assist women with reproductive health issues, including menstrual health and gynaecological conditions, to remain in or return to the workplace. Additionally, the Equality Hub is working with employers to identify existing support on women’s reproductive health in the workplace and, in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care, is building peer networks to promote good practice.
The Government’s Women’s Health Ambassador is focused on raising the profile for women’s health and supporting implementation of the strategy, including breaking down the stigma surrounding particular areas of women’s health, including endometriosis.
Oct. 03 2023
Source Page: Correspondence regarding the Endometriosis Advisory Group’s plans for future meetings: FOI ReleaseFound: Correspondence regarding the Endometriosis Advisory Group’s plans for future meetings: FOI Release
Mentions:
1: Hamilton, Rachael (Con - Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) Local charities in the south of Scotland are dedicated to improving endometriosis treatment. - Speech Link
2: Harper, Emma (SNP - South Scotland) We know how substantial an impact endometriosis can have on women’s lives. - Speech Link
3: Minto, Jenni (SNP - Argyll and Bute) The research will investigate whether a cannabinoid can reduce endometriosis-associated pain. - Speech Link
4: Mochan, Carol (Lab - South Scotland) of endometriosis are recognised in the workplace. - Speech Link