Scarborough and Whitby’s MP has said raised concerns that residents living with an “under-recognised and undertreated” condition are not receiving the appropriate treatment.
Alison Hume MP has called on the Government to ensure that endometriosis treatment is improved after residents living with the chronic condition were forced to turn to private healthcare due to long waiting times for diagnosis and treatment.
The condition occurs when cells similar to the ones in the lining of the womb are found elsewhere in the body, causing “debilitating pain, fatigue, and often infertility”.
According to the charity Endometriosis UK, 1.5m women – or one in 10 – are affected by the condition.
Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate, Ms Hume said:
“Despite its prevalence, it remains under-recognised and undertreated, like so many conditions that affect women and the average time to diagnose in the UK is more than eight years.”
The Member of Parliament highlighted the case of a Scarborough and Whitby resident who she said had been advised to seek private healthcare to access the required treatments, adding that surgeries that were previously available through the NHS had since been cancelled.
She said:
“My constituent, Angela, has thoracic endometriosis, a rare form of the condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows in the chest cavity, commonly affecting the diaphragm and lungs.
“Angela recently found out that planned surgery to confirm her diagnosis and reformulate a treatment plan would no longer be going ahead as the specialist Oxford University Hospitals has stopped commissioning the surgery, as have other specialist centres in London and Bristol.
“My constituent Angela and other women are now left in a position with no diagnosis and no access to investigation, care or treatment unless they can afford to go private.”
Endometriosis UK estimates that the human and economic cost of neglecting endometriosis care is “significant”.
A recent report by the NHS confederation found that severe period pain and heavy periods, alongside endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts are estimated to cost the UK economy £11bn annually in lost productivity due to workplace absence.
The charity said: “The case is clear – investing in women’s health is not only a matter of fairness – it is an economic necessity.”
Speaking in the Westminster Hall debate on Thursday, May 12, Ms Hume called for “a long-term solution for a long-term condition”:
“I ask the Minister for reassurance that endometriosis is addressed in our 10-year-plan.”
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