Closed petition: Review Pain Relief Standards For Invasive Women’s Health Procedures

Closed on 8 January 2026

We urge the Government to review the guidelines for pain relief during women’s invasive health procedures. We would like this review to consider if adequate pain relief is being offered.

We want this review to investigate mandating informed consent, improving clinician training and making anaesthesia or sedation available as standard options.

Many women undergo invasive procedures like hysteroscopies or IUD insertions with little or no pain relief, which could cause severe pain and trauma. We feel current NHS standards are inconsistent and informed consent can be lacking. We urge the Government to review these guidelines to look into requiring full disclosure of pain risks, offering proper anaesthesia or sedation, and training clinicians in pain management and trauma-informed care. We believe women deserve safe, respectful treatment.