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 provision of NHS specialist endometriosis care since the publication of the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England on 15 April 2026.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships and their participation in education and the workforce. We are committed to improving waiting times for diagnosis and treatment so patients can get the care they need sooner.

For women with severe endometriosis, NHS England commissions specialised services through 61 accredited hospitals contracted to deliver care in line with the current service specification. These are accredited by the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy. A revised specification is progressing through NHS governance and commissioning processes, ahead of consideration by the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group in 2026/27.

The revised specification will introduce a networked model of care to ensure all patients with endometriosis have access to clinicians with appropriate expertise, including through primary care, community services, and secondary care settings. This will improve the standards of care for women with severe endometriosis by ensuring specialist endometriosis services have access to the most up-to-date evidence and advice.

Research has led to new treatments being made available, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approval of two pills to treat endometriosis in 2025, namely Relugolix and Linzagolix. Both are estimated to help approximately 1,000 women with severe endometriosis for whom other treatment options have not been effective.

Endometriosis is also identified as a priority condition in the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, where women experience unacceptably long delays to diagnosis, pain being dismissed, and fragmented care.