Closed petition Provide additional funding to improve diagnosis of Endometriosis

On Wednesday 6 July, MPs will take part in a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament on waiting lists for gynecological services, led by Emma Hardy MP.

To inform the debate, Emma Hardy wants to hear about your experiences of waiting times for such services, including those relating to endometriosis treatment. She may quote your contribution directly during her debate.

Find out more and share your ideas with her by midday on Tuesday 5 July:

Information page: Waiting lists for gynecological services

Videos of the debate, the transcript of what was said in it, and other relevant material will also be accessible shortly afterwards on this webpage.

What are Westminster Hall debates?

Westminster Hall is the second Chamber of the House of Commons.

Westminster Hall debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local or national issues and receive a response from a government minister. Any MP can take part in a Westminster Hall debate.

Debates in Westminster Hall take place on ‘general debate' motions expressed in neutral terms. These motions are worded ‘That this House has considered [a specific matter]'.

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On Wednesday 20 July the Government published the first ever Women's Health Strategy for England. This document sets out the results of the consultation the Government ran in 2021 on women's health, and the actions it is taking to improve the health of women and girls.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay MP, made a statement on the Strategy and took questions from MPs in the House of Commons, to coincide with the publication of the strategy.

• Watch the Minister's statement
• Read the transcript
• Read the Government's press release

The Secretary of State's statement outlined the key ambitions and elements of the Strategy. These include:

• Ensuring that women are better listened to in the NHS
• Better access to services for all women and girls
• Addressing the lack of research into women’s health conditions
• Better information and education on issues relating to women’s health
• Targeted action on specific areas such as fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, and female-specific health conditions such as endometriosis.

Actions the Government has said it will take to help achieve these goals include introducing mandatory teaching and assessment on women’s health for all graduating medical students and incoming doctors, and undertaking new research and data gathering to increase understanding of women's health issues.

You can read the Strategy in full on the UK Government website. The Strategy only covers England as government policy on health matters is devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Commitments on gynaecological conditions

The Strategy sets out ambitions to improve education and awareness around gynaecological conditions, including a specific aim to improve care and reduce diagnosis times for endometriosis.

It outlines actions NHS England is taking to reduce waiting times and improve patient experience within gynaecology services. It also commits to reviewing and updating NHS guidance on the treatment of endometriosis, to ensure the latest evidence and advice is being followed.

• Read more about the Strategy's commitments on gynaecological conditions

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A group of MPs called the Women and Equalities Committee are looking into women's menstrual and gynaecological health, to understand the challenges women face during diagnosis and treatment of reproductive health issues.

Read the Committee's press notice announcing this work for more information.

The Committee is considering:
• What constitutes healthy periods and reproductive health?
• What are women's experiences of being diagnosed with, undergoing procedures and being treated for gynaecological or urogynaecological conditions?
• What disparities exist in the treatment and diagnosis of gynaecological or urogynaecological conditions?
• What barriers exist in the treatment and diagnosis of gynaecological or urogyanecological conditions?

What happens next?

The Committee has conducted oral evidence sessions where it heard from experts in the sector as well as representatives from the Government.

An evidence session is a hearing where MPs ask key experts, such as Ministers, academics and/or campaigners, questions on a particular topic. These experts are called "witnesses" and they help MPs to gain a deeper understanding of the topic.

The Committee is considering all the evidence it has taken and will publish a report of its findings with recommendations to the Government on any changes that might be needed.

For more information about the inquiry, visit the Committee's inquiry page.

What is the Women and Equalities Committee?

The Women and Equalities Committee examines the work of the Government Equalities Office (GEO). It holds the Government to account on equality law and policy, including the Equality Act 2010 and cross-Government activity on equalities. It also scrutinises the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

• Find out more about the Committee on its website
• Follow the Committee on X (formerly Twitter) for updates on its work

The Women and Equalities Committee is a select committee.

• Find out how select committees work

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