‘Change NHS: help build a health service fit for the future’ is a consultation that will help shape the NHS 10-year plan - a plan that will be co-developed with the public, staff and patients through a detailed engagement exercise.
As part of this, the Government is calling on the public, organisations and healthcare staff in England to share your experiences and ideas at the Change NHS online portal. The portal opened on 21 October 2024 and will run for several months.
The portal allows you to:
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give your views on the NHS and health and care
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tell the government what you feel is working well and what needs improving
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share your experiences
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post your ideas for improving health and care in the future
Endometriosis UK will be responding to the consultation, and this is also your opportunity to have your say and share your own experiences and ideas of how endometriosis care can be improved.
Whether you are an endometriosis patient, someone who has supported a loved one with the disease, or you’re a healthcare practitioner - this is your opportunity to highlight how endometriosis care should be provided, and the challenges currently being faced in delivering the care that is needed to support the 1.5 million with endometriosis in the UK.
Your personal experience will help shape the future of the NHS and every voice counts in highlighting to the government that endometriosis must be addressed in any future NHS plans.
As well as showing where care needs improving, it’s also an opportunity to highlight best practice and examples of where care is being delivered well, for example, when pathways are followed and the right referrals are made. Whatever your experience, your voice matters.
Why this matters:
Improving endometriosis care must be a national priority, and improving diagnosis times and ensuring everyone with the disease has access to the right treatment at the right time. Taking an average of 8 years and 10 months to get a diagnosis of endometriosis in the UK is unacceptable and is not only adding to the suffering of those with the disease, but is putting unnecessary pressure on the NHS. Now is the time to urge the government to turn this around and introduce much needed changes in how endometriosis care is provided in England.
Gynaecology wait times are also at a record high - and behind these statistics are many with endometriosis struggling to get a diagnosis and access to treatment. Not only can the disease worsen without access to a diagnosis and treatment, but the impact on someone’s mental health, career and relationships can be devastating.
Getting a prompt diagnosis and accessing the right treatment at the right time will reduce appointments taken, and reduce the need for additional treatment and support if the disease has progressed.
Even once a diagnosis is secured, it is often hard to access the treatments that would help. Should symptoms recur after treatment, it can be like having to get diagnosed all over again with multiple appointments – unnecessary if there is a chronic care pathway.
The cost of endometriosis is clear - not only to the lives of those this disease affects, but also to the economy. The Government simply cannot afford to ignore endometriosis as it plans for the NHS’s future.
So what are we calling for?
We need to see the NHS improved so those with endometriosis get the help they need. We’ll be calling for:
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A commitment from Government to reduce non-cancer gynaecological waiting times
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Full funding and implementation of the women’s health strategy.
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Endometriosis to be treated by the NHS as a chronic condition.
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A workforce training plan so that the relevant NHS health professionals are able to promptly diagnose endometriosis and provide appropriate treatment.
Click here to visit the Change NHS online portal and share your views today.
