Rachael Hamilton MSP is raising awareness of endometriosis in the Scottish Parliament today.
The Borders MSP’s motion received cross party support, in a move she hopes will ‘spur’ the Scottish Government into taking action to reduce waiting times for the treatment of the disease.
Later today, Mrs Hamilton’s debate will bring together MSPs from across the political spectrum, to debate the issue of diagnosis, treatment and raising awareness.
It is estimated that 10% of women worldwide have or will develop endometriosis and it is the second most common gynaecological condition in the UK.
Symptoms include painful and irregular periods, pelvic pain, bladder and bowel issues, and infertility. Endometriosis costs the UK £8.2 billion in loss of earnings and additional healthcare costs.
In her debate, the Borders MSP will call on the Scottish Government to take affirmative action to reduce diagnostic and treatment waiting times. Currently the waiting time for diagnosis is 8-9 years in Scotland.
Further to this, she will ask that more attention must be focussed on improved data gathering, developing better education in schools, such as menstrual wellbeing classes and that a timeframe for feasibly achieving the ambitious 12 month waiting time target be outlined.
She wants to thank Tao McCready, for her hard work for raising awareness in the Borders, through EndoBonds and Becky Leigh for raising awareness through the big yellow raffle fundraising challenge she held last year.
Rachael Hamilton MSP said:
“Endometriosis is a debilitating disease which can cause chronic pain for many women.
“I wanted to highlight and raise awareness of the disease in the Scottish Parliament, because I believe that it doesn’t receive the attention it rightly deserves.
“My late colleague Sir David Amess, chaired the APPG in Westminster on endometriosis, and I paid tribute to him in the debate, especially for all his exceptional work in raising awareness.
“What we need the SNP Government to do is to take action now to reduce diagnosis times.
“Warm words are not enough, we need to see a credible timeframe and policy plan for the delivery of the proposed 12 month diagnosis target, as well as the appropriate funding and resource.
“Women living with endometriosis have been let down for years, and I wanted to take this opportunity to push the SNP Government into action”.
- The motion for Rachael Hamilton’s debate:
That the Parliament notes the view that there is a need to raise awareness of the widespread nature of endometriosis; understands that this painful disorder affects an estimated 10% of women worldwide and is the second most common gynaecological condition in the UK; believes that, despite its widespread nature, healthcare professionals still find it difficult to diagnose and treat the condition and that this situation has affected women in the Scottish Borders and across the country; recognises the Scottish Government's commitment to reduce the average time taken to diagnose endometriosis from eight years to less than 12 months during the current parliamentary session, as outlined in the Women’s Health Plan; acknowledges the work done by the UK Parliament's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis in highlighting the key areas that need to be addressed in order to see a reduction in the time to make a diagnosis, and notes the calls for the Scottish Government to present MSPs with a detailed plan and timeframe for achieving this target.
