Last week we posted about England’s Women’s Health Strategy – Endometriosis UK responded to the strategy 👇
If properly implemented, the strategy has the potential to be very positive for people with endometriosis, but it does have “worrying gaps”.
– Endometriosis UK welcomes the strategy’s commitment to reduce the time it takes to get a diagnosis but is disappointed that there is no concrete target.
– They had hoped for a target of <4 years by 2025 and <1 by 2030.
– They welcome the commitment to improve access to endometriosis services and to contraception for medical management of menstrual problems, but note that contraception is not always an appropriate treatment for endometriosis and that there is need for much more clarity on how access to care will be improved.
– While the strategy pays particular attention to those with severe endometriosis, Endometriosis UK emphasises that all with endometriosis need better care and that severity of symptoms does not always correlate with severity of endometrial growth.
– They are pleased that the strategy acknowledges that people with endometriosis often feel their symptoms and pain are dismissed.
– Endometriosis UK is disappointed by the general use of non-inclusive language in the strategy, as it is widely known that transgender, non-binary, and other minority groups experience additional barriers to accessing healthcare.
– They are pleased by the commitment to invest in women’s health research, but need greater clarity on what this funding is.
– They are pleased by the commitment to improve the use of data to provide better services.
– They suggest a national registry of those with endometriosis.
📰 Read their response in its entirety here.