400 stories shared as National World takes its Endo the Battle campaign to ministers
A publisher has stepped up its campaign to win better treatment for women suffering with endometriosis, penning an open letter to the Government demanding action.
National World titles launched the Endo the Battle campaign to raise the profile of the need for much better support for women with the condition, earlier this year.
It has been spearheaded by National World health writer Sarah McCann, who has shared her own experience in fighting for help with endometriosis, including crowdfunding to pay for treatment and travelling to Romania for support.
An estimated 1.5 million women in the UK are affected by endometriosis, a systemic inflammatory condition where cells similar to the lining of the uterus are found elsewhere in the body.
This can cause painful symptoms such as chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, painful bowel movements, painful urination and painful sex, it can lead to chronic pain, poor quality of life, infertility and other complications when left untreated.
Titles across National World, including the Yorkshire Post and Belfast Newsletter, have run article backing the campaign, and over 400 women have shared their experiences with titles around the UK.
Now Sarah has pened an open letter to health ministers, urging them to listen. It has been published on National World sites, and sent to Wes Streeting, Mike Nesbitt, Jenni Minto and Jeremy Miles, the health ministers across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
In it, Sarah said: “If you experienced your first symptom of endometriosis today, you wouldn’t receive a diagnosis until 2034. For a country that prides itself on its unique and special healthcare provision this is the stark reality for those living with the systemic inflammatory condition.
“Over 400 people made their voices heard, right across the UK, and it is clear that they are being failed by successive Governments. The recent Women’s Health Strategy setting out a ten year plan to improve outcomes for women and girls is quite frankly not worth the paper it was written on — these voices show today that medical misogyny continues to be one of the biggest barriers.
“These brave voices have told us stories of lengthy waiting lists, a normalisation of symptoms and a lack of endometriosis knowledge — often living with symptoms for almost a decade without answers. They told us of debilitating pain, disease progression, fertility struggles and a devastating impact on quality of life.
“Is it too much to ask that everyone with endometriosis should be able to go to a doctor, feel heard and have faith that they will be taken seriously and treated with compassion?
“We are calling on you to finally start to change the tide — you have the responsibility to do this for so many who are suffering with this crippling condition.”
The letter asks the ministers to:
- Tackle the current backlog for gynaecology waiting lists in every region of the UK and to bring down the endometriosis diagnostic delays, as well as diagnosis delays in underrepresented communities.
- Upskill frontline medical professionals so they can recognise endometriosis and make relevant referrals as soon as possible to help avoid diagnosis delays, as well as other healthcare professionals so that symptoms can be recognised at every step of the healthcare pathway.
- Provide endometriosis education in schools, so that if a child or young person experiences symptoms they are armed with the knowledge to know how to ask for help.
- Enable everyone in the UK to be able to access an endometriosis specialist centre, where they can access an endometriosis specialist and a multidisciplinary approach to their care.
- Commit to care for extra pelvic endometriosis — those with thoracic endometriosis often face challenges getting a diagnosis or seeking healthcare.
- Make a commitment to tackle barriers such as medical misogyny and misinformation in endometriosis healthcare.
