Thank you to everyone who got in touch about endometriosis, and especially to those who shared their deeply personal experiences of the condition and struggling to get the support they need.
I completely agree that for too long women have often been sidelined or not listened to when it comes to healthcare, so I’m glad the government has recognised this and is taking action. You’re right to highlight endometriosis as an issue of particular concern, that is why I joined the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Endometriosis. I have previously met with constituents who are impacted by endometriosis to discuss their concerns and experiences and I have also hosted events in Parliament with Endometriosis UK for MPs to learn more about the condition.
The government inherited a broken NHS, and as a result too many women are still subject to a system that doesn’t listen to their experiences or understand their needs. It is unacceptable that women have reported being passed from one specialist to another for endometriosis, and other conditions like PCOS, and face unacceptable gynaecology waiting lists.
As a member of the Women and Equalities Select Committee I have examined this issue further with other MPs. The Committee has published reports on the menstrual health of girls and young women, women’s reproductive health conditions and investigated how women are treated during painful procedures, which you can read by clicking here. I was pleased that the government welcomed our report on women’s reproductive health conditions and recognised how important this topic is.
However, I do believe this Labour government has started to turn things around for women’s health and has made significant improvements, including:
- Cutting the gynaecology waiting list by almost 20,000.
- Committing to update the Women’s Health Strategy
- Investing in research on diagnosis, treatment and pain management for endometriosis.
I was proud to stand on a manifesto pledge to ensure that women’s health is never again neglected, and I welcome the government’s action to prioritise women’s health so far. I look forward to further action on women’s health being outlined in the upcoming Women’s Health Strategy.
However, I recognise that many patients and staff continue to face extremely challenging conditions. This is why I strongly support the £27 billion in additional funding put into our NHS by the Chancellor – the largest injection of cash into our health service since Labour were last in government.
As a result of this, we are already seeing progress. Since the election, waiting lists have fallen by more than 320,000 across the country and we’ve seen a 5% improvement in waiting lists at George Eliot Hospital. We’ve also delivered five million more NHS appointments across the country, recruited more than 2,500 new GPs, and I’m particularly pleased that four local GP surgeries in Polesworth, Bedworth, Coleshill and Keresley are getting upgrades this year so they can receive even more patients and improve access. But I know there is so much more to do, which is why I will continue pushing hard to support the government to go even further and faster when it comes to turning our NHS around.