Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) physical, (b) mental and (c) financial support is available to people diagnosed with endometriosis.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline on endometriosis diagnosis and management recognises that endometriosis can be a long-term condition, and can have a significant physical, sexual, psychological, and social impact. On 11 November 2024, NICE published its updated version of this guideline, making firmer recommendations on referral and investigations which will help women receive a diagnosis and effective treatment faster.
Research has led to new treatments being made available for endometriosis, including the NICE approval of two pills to treat endometriosis this year, namely Relugolix and Linzagolix.
Individuals, including those diagnosed with endometriosis, can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies or their general practitioner can refer them. NHS Talking Therapies offer evidence-based psychological therapies to help with common mental health problems.
Many integrated care boards are taking an innovative approach to endometriosis care. For example, in the North East and West of England there is the endometriosis transformation programme. This programme is addressing long waits for patients with severe endometriosis and improving patient pathways, from presentation in general practice through to management in secondary care.
Asked by: Lola McEvoy (Labour - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing statutory menstrual leave for people diagnosed with (a) endometriosis, (b) adenomyosis and (c) other chronic reproductive health conditions; and what steps his Department is taking to support women who experience debilitating symptoms that affect their ability to work.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government takes women’s health issues very seriously; we are committed to supporting women to balance work alongside managing their health. Endometriosis and adenomyosis can classify as disabilities and, in these cases, existing protections under the Equality Act 2010 require employers to make reasonable adjustments where appropriate. By strengthening rights through the Employment Rights Bill, including expanding flexible working and statutory sick pay, the Government is also taking steps to support the wellbeing and work-life balance of all workers. Therefore, there are no plans to introduce a specific leave entitlement.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve GP (a) training in and (b) awareness of (i) endometriosis and (ii) women’s health issues in general.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for ensuring that their own clinical knowledge, including on endometriosis and women’s health issues in general, remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development.
All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners, and must meet the standards set by the GMC.
The GMC has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK. The content map for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health including menstrual problems, endometriosis, menopause and urinary incontinence. This will encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK. Endometriosis is also included in the core curriculum for trainee GPs, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists.
In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated their guideline on endometriosis which makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis. This guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to (a) mental health and (b) pain management support for people with endometriosis.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Long wait times are a feature of a system in desperate need of change. On mental health, we are already responding by delivering new, innovative models of care in the community, including piloting six neighbourhood adult mental health centres, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to bring together community, crisis and inpatient care.
We are also recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers to ensure people can access treatment and support earlier with 6,700 of these having been recruited since July 2024. We are prioritising expansions of Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support schemes, supporting those with mild to moderate mental illness through earlier intervention.
Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the research delivery arm of the Department, funds a range of research to support women’s health conditions, including endometriosis. Funding has been awarded to studies seeking to improve outcomes for women with endometriosis by better understanding the condition, enabling earlier diagnosis, and evaluating current and emerging treatment options. This includes research on mental health and pain management support for people with endometriosis.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 improve (a) education about and (b) awareness of endometriosis.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises 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.
On 15 July, the Department for Education published the revised Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance, which stipulates that secondary school RSHE lessons should cover menstrual and gynaecological health, covering aspects such as what is an average period, conditions including endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, and when to seek help from healthcare professionals. This revised guidance emphasises the importance of ensuring that pupils have a comprehensive understanding of women’s health topics.
The General Medical Council has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom. The content map for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health, including menstrual problems, endometriosis, menopause, and urinary incontinence. This will encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK.
Endometriosis is also included in the core curriculum for trainee general practitioners, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists. In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated their guideline on endometriosis which makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with a suspected diagnosis, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73)www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the NICE guidelines for Dysmenorrhoea, Adenomyosis, and Chronic Pelvic Pain conditions to be published.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has no current plans to develop standalone guidelines on dysmenorrhoea, adenomyosis, and chronic pelvic pain.
There are existing NICE guidelines on heavy menstrual bleeding, chronic pain, and endometriosis. There is also a Clinical Knowledge Summary on dysmenorrhoea that summarises the current evidence base and provides practical advice for primary care professionals.
Topics for new or updated guidance are considered through the NICE prioritisation process. Decisions as to whether NICE will create new, or update existing, guidance are overseen by an integrated, cross-organisational prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s chief medical officer.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support people with endometriosis in the workplace in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched last November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate.
Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including women with endometriosis, with their employment journey. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.
Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell.
It is also recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, the DWP and DHSC Joint Work & Health Directorate (JWHD) is facilitating “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield, is expected to bring forward recommendations in Autumn 2025.
In our March Green Paper, we set out our Pathways to Work Guarantee, backed by £1 billion a year of new additional funding by 2030. We will build towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits.
The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, stated our intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. The Plan sets out the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs, including for disabled people. Furthermore, it outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 individuals with endometriosis in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises 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. In the Surrey Heath constituency, Frimley Park Hospital is a British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy-accredited endometriosis centre, with the capacity to manage severe cases of endometriosis. The centre is working towards becoming cross-site, supporting women at Wexham Park Hospital and Frimley Park Hospital, offering more specialist staff to support the service.
In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated its guideline on endometriosis which makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis. The guideline is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73)www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73
Asked by: Kirsteen Sullivan (Labour (Co-op) - Bathgate and Linlithgow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to increase awareness among healthcare professionals that endometriosis is a (a) long-term and (b) chronic condition, as recommended by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises 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.
The General Medical Council has introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment to encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the UK. The content map for this assessment includes several topics relating to women’s health including endometriosis. This will encourage a better understanding of common women’s health problems among all doctors as they start their careers in the United Kingdom. Endometriosis is also included in the core curriculum for trainee GPs, and for obstetricians and gynaecologists.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the health and care system. In November 2024, NICE updated their guidance on endometriosis. This makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with suspected diagnosis, and will help the estimated 1 in 10 women with endometriosis receive a diagnosis faster.
The updated NICE guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG73
Asked by: Kirsteen Sullivan (Labour (Co-op) - Bathgate and Linlithgow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with (a) Endometriosis UK and (b) other relevant stakeholders on the implementation of the 10 Year Health Plan to ensure it supports people with endometriosis.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises 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 prioritising women’s health. Through our 10-Year Health Plan, we are delivering our manifesto commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected.
To develop the Plan, we had the biggest ever conversation on the future of the NHS with over a quarter of a million contributions from the public, staff, patient groups and charities including Endometriosis UK.
The Government and the National Health Service continue to work with the public, staff and partners to deliver the 10-Year Health Plan. We will establish stakeholder groups to steer implementation, and advisory input will be sought from expert committees where needed.