Women’s Health Strategy: Endometriosis and Fibroids

Opened the debate

Abena Oppong-Asare raised concerns about endometriosis and related gynaecological conditions, which affect millions of women but are often undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or dismissed within the health system. She highlighted that one in 10 women suffer from endometriosis, which is debilitating and impacts women's ability to live normal lives. Despite growing awareness, many women still face significant delays in diagnosis and inadequate treatment. The average wait for diagnosis is nine years and four months. She called for the forthcoming women’s health strategy to address these conditions head-on, improve diagnosis and treatment, and tackle stigma and taboos. She also emphasised the importance of training doctors to identify these conditions early, and called for the Government to work with the Royal College of GPs and NHS training providers to ensure that endometriosis and fibroids are central to the training curriculum.

Government Response

Karin Smyth acknowledged the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and fibroids, and emphasised the Government's commitment to improving women's health care. She highlighted initiatives such as the introduction of Jess’s rule and Martha’s rule to ensure that women are listened to by their doctors. She also mentioned the roll-out of community diagnostic centres and the NHS Online virtual hospital, which will provide women with greater access to specialist care. She noted the Department's work to improve awareness and training for healthcare professionals, and highlighted the funding for research into endometriosis, including a £2.3 million award for pain management research. The Minister also addressed the issue of inequality faced by women from ethnic minority backgrounds and committed to addressing these disparities through the 10-year health plan.