Will the Welsh Government audit the centres of excellence that are provided with extra money to deal with endometriosis for the effectiveness of this system?
I have made a strong commitment to ensuring there are improvements to women’s health services in Wales, which includes provision for endometriosis support, diagnosis and treatment.
Wales has three fully accredited endometriosis specialist centres – University Hospital of Wales, Singleton Hospital, Swansea and the Grange University Hospital, Cwmbran. The Endometriosis Task and Finish Group recommended that quality and outcome measures be established to monitor the success of services. These must be co-produced to reflect the voices of women and girls, and this will be a vital function of the Women’s Health Network, with accountability to the NHS Executive.
Welsh Government officials have previously written to all health boards seeking assurance that services are being delivered in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on endometriosis and all health boards confirmed compliance.
With regards to waiting lists, health boards have a responsibility to deliver high quality gynaecology services and it is vital they provide a robust and effective pathway, which includes early diagnosis, for the management of endometriosis in accordance with the NICE guidance.
There is a clear role for endometriosis specialist centres in addressing the existing backlog for complex endometriosis surgical treatment, and we are already increasing capacity in Wales. But to meet the needs of all women experiencing endometriosis symptoms, many of whom may not go on to require more complex surgical treatment, enhanced education, awareness and training is needed across the existing NHS workforce to enable early diagnosis and support women in managing their symptoms.
A dedicated website has been developed for patients and Endometriosis Nurses to use. Endometriosis Cymru includes ‘living with stories’ from Welsh people and a symptom tracker which has the potential to become a diagnosis tool for patients and clinicians to speed up intervention for early diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.
In addition, the Welsh Government has funded dedicated Endometriosis Nurses within each health board across NHS Wales. These nurses are actively spending time with patients in clinics and liaising with their multidisciplinary teams to improve the endometriosis service provision within their respective health boards. The endometriosis nurse specialists are vital in supporting their local populations seeking care and support for endometriosis symptoms, as well as supporting the wider multidisciplinary team in delivering endometriosis services.
The appointment of these nurse specialists has been welcomed and they are making a real difference for women in their local areas.