Thank you for contacting me about endometriosis, and about the debate on Endometriosis funding in Parliament on the 18th of October. Although I am unable to attend due to other commitments in Parliament, I did want to update you on the work the Government and the NHS are doing to improve treatment.
As you know, endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are common long-term conditions that can have a significant impact on a woman’s life. I believe it is important to raise awareness of the impact on women worldwide.
To provide support, all obstetricians and gynaecologists have been trained in the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions; it is a core part of their training. The NHS has published clinical guidelines on the management of endometriosis, and PCOS, to assist doctors.
Through its mandate to NHS England, the Government has set out ambitions to improve the care and support of people with long-term conditions in order to help them to live healthily and independently, with much better control over the care they receive.
It is reassuring that NHS England has developed a service specification for severe endometriosis within the area of complex gynaecology. The NHS expects all units to provide women with severe endometriosis with care which meets the needs of each individual woman. I believe it is essential that care of this kind is specialised to a woman’s unique needs, and I know that Ministers want to empower people to shape and manage their own health and care and make meaningful choices.
I welcome the work of Endometriosis UK and Verity, the UK PCOS Charity, to raise awareness of these conditions, as well as providing sufferers with further information and access to clinical trials and the latest research. In addition, I know that the Government already provides £1 billion funding each year to the National Institute for Health Research, an organisation which invites scientific researchers to apply for funding support, across all fields, including for conditions like endometriosis and PCOS.
Alongside this, I support the Government’s commitment to increase NHS spending by £33.9 billion in real terms over the next five years. This will enable the NHS to fund its own plan for the future, the NHS Long Term Plan. In addition, I know that the APPG on Endometriosis has launched an enquiry, following the publication of research into the impact of the condition. I will monitor the progress of this inquiry closely.
