As part of its national Women’s Health Plan, GPs in Wales are being trained to identify endometriosis earlier.
A new training programme in Wales to identify endometriosis at an earlier stage has led to a 43% increase in participating GPs’ knowledge of the condition and more confidence in discussing symptoms and treatment options with women.
One in ten women suffer from endometriosis and the programme is one of the women’s health initiatives that Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) provides for GPs, to improve women’s experience of healthcare in Wales.
“Women have told us that they feel they are not heard, and their symptoms are ignored. This training ensures women’s voices are central to their healthcare experience, and it helps GPs support their patients more effectively,” said minister for mental health and wellbeing Sarah Murphy.
Priority areas
Endometriosis is one of eight priority areas for improving healthcare for women and girls in the Women’s Health Plan, which was published in December last year. The others are menstrual health, contraception, preconception health, pelvic health, menopause, violence against women and ageing well.
“Meeting women’s needs across their life course will be at the heart of the new women’s health hubs,” said Helen Munro, clinical lead for women’s health in Wales, in early June as she talked about plans to develop a women’s health hub in every health board area by March next year.
The plan, created by the National Strategic Clinical Network for Women’s Health, part of the NHS Wales Executive, sets out how NHS organisations in Wales will close the gender health gap by providing better health services for women, ensuring they are listened to and their health needs are understood.
