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 help increase public awareness of the symptoms of thoracic endometriosis.

The Government recognises the significant challenges faced by women with endometriosis, and is committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service. Information for the public on endometriosis symptoms and treatments can be found on the NHS YouTube channel and the NHS website, which are available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABi1ncHorBY

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/endometriosis/

Although at present thoracic endometriosis is not specifically mentioned on these pages, the NHS website’s endometriosis page links to further resources, including the Endometriosis UK website. The Endometriosis UK website includes information on endometriosis outside the pelvis and highlights questions that a patient can ask in secondary care, as well as the option of referral for a second opinion. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/getting-diagnosed-0

The Endometriosis UK website also includes an informational video on thoracic endometriosis, which is available at the following link:

https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/webinar/thoracic-endometriosis