Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the potential merits of introducing guidelines on nonpharmacological ways to manage chronic pain related to endometriosis.

There have been no recent discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body responsible for determining whether its published guidelines require updating in light of new evidence or emerging issues. NICE recently reviewed its guideline on endometriosis and published a surveillance review on 3 November 2022 which states that it will update the sections on diagnosing endometriosis, surgical management and surgical management if fertility is a priority. NICE will also further explore the topic of mental wellbeing and support for people with suspected or confirmed endometriosis during scoping of the update.