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 Integrated Care Boards to implement NICE guideline NG73 on endometriosis in primary care, including training for GPs and practice nurses on recognising cyclical pain, initiating first-line management and making timely referrals.

The Government acknowledges the importance of ensuring healthcare professionals are adequately trained and educated on women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, and we have taken action to address this.

NHS England encourages adherence to guidance publications by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). However, professionals and practitioners are expected to exercise their judgement when taking NICE guidelines into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences, and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them and their families and carers or guardian.

NHS England is currently developing a pelvic pain pathway for systems which will provide a framework for managing pelvic pain and endometriosis across the healthcare system. This will be aligned with NICE guidance and will enable women to get care either in primary care, neighbourhood services, or specialist secondary care services in line with their needs.

The Skills for Health Multi-professional Capabilities framework has a focus on developing basic, intermediate, and advanced skills so that all healthcare professionals are able to manage pain and, where the ceiling of skills are reached, have an easy referral pathway to achieving good outcomes.

NHS England is working with regions to encourage and support implementation of these pathways and a neighbourhood approach to care, which will help to support early recognition and diagnosis, reducing waiting times for women for conditions including endometriosis.