Chamber and committees

The Endometriosis Care Pathway for NHS Scotland aims to support healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms.

To support health care professionals to improve their knowledge and understanding of endometriosis NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has launched an e-learning module on menstrual health available on Turas Learn. It is open to anyone working in NHS Scotland and in particular is aimed at those working in primary care.

Further training resources have been provided through the Women’s Health Masterclass on endometriosis which provided information on diagnosis, treatment and current research on endometriosis, raising awareness of the Pathway with attendees. The resources from this event are available on Turas Learn.

We are currently working with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) to develop new training resources on endometriosis, for general practitioners.

Through the Scottish National Menstrual Health Specialist Network healthcare professionals with a special interest in menstrual health have a forum for peer support and sharing expert clinical advice and best practice related to menstrual health symptoms and conditions.

More information can be found in the Women’s Health Plan 2021 - 2024 Final Report.

We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

This year, we have allocated over £450,000 to gynaecology from our £30 million targeted investment in planned care, delivering around 3,500 additional new outpatient appointments.

The 2025-26 Budget, if approved by Parliament, will provide a record £21 billion for Health & Social Care, including a commitment to provide £200 million to help reduce waiting times and address delayed discharge.

We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

This includes ensuring that women have access to care that adheres to the most up to date practice guidance. The endometriosis care pathway for NHS Scotland supports healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis type symptoms.

However, data on the percentage of women diagnosed with endometriosis currently receiving multidisciplinary care is not available.

In addition to funding to support the expansion of access to diabetes technology already announced in the financial year 2024-2025, the draft Budget for 2025-2026 contains funding to support continued policy development various for long term conditions. We will always give careful consideration as to whether additional policy development is required for any condition, including chronic kidney disease.

More broadly, the draft Budget delivers a record £21 billion investment in health and social care, including core funding to NHS boards to deliver services. NHS boards have responsibility for deciding how to use this core funding to deliver services locally based on the needs of the people in their area, including people living with chronic kidney disease.

Eligibility for, and changes to, the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Scotland has always been based on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

In its statement of 8 November 2022 (published in January 2023), the JCVI advised that in 2023 COVID-19 vaccination should move towards a targeted offer during vaccination campaigns to protect those at higher risk of severe COVID-19.

From 30 June 2023, on the advice of the JCVI, we ceased the universal offer of COVID-19 vaccination to the entire population. From that point, only those advised as eligible by the JCVI were invited forward for COVID-19 vaccination during the JCVI-designated seasonal winter and spring campaigns.

In July 2024, Scottish Government commissioned Public Health Scotland (PHS) to deliver the Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) Audit. PHS are actively recruiting to the posts required to deliver it.

All health professionals should consider the mental health and wellbeing needs of their patient as part of their care and a support.

The Endometriosis Care Pathway for NHS Scotland aims to support healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms. This includes advising practitioners to assess women’s individual support needs, taking into account their symptoms, priorities, desire for fertility, aspects of daily living, work and study, cultural background, and their physical, psychosexual and emotional needs.

Through the NHS Inform Women’s Health Platform, we have made a range of information on endometriosis available to women online.

This includes signposting to peer support groups and organisations such as Endometriosis UK who operate a free, confidential helpline run by trained volunteers who have a personal experience of endometriosis.

The platform also hosts a range of content on mental health with several self-help guides to help people manage their mental wellbeing including a menstrual health and mental wellbeing self help guide and another to support those living with chronic pain. There is also signposting to national helplines including 111, Breathing Space and The Samaritans for anyone who is struggling and needs someone to talk to.

We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

The Scottish Government has supported the development of The Endometriosis Care Pathway for NHS Scotland which aims to support healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms. All NHS Boards should be taking steps to implement the pathway.

To support health care professionals to improve their knowledge and understanding of endometriosis NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has been commissioned to create a bespoke training package and framework focussed on menopause and menstrual health, which includes endometriosis, for healthcare professionals in Primary Care.

The Scottish Government has also worked with NHS Education for Scotland to deliver an endometriosis masterclass for health care professionals across Scotland on diagnosis, treatment and current research into endometriosis.

Additionally, through the NHS Inform Women’s Health Platform, we have made a range of information on endometriosis available to women online. This has included the Endometriosis UK Pain and Symptom Diary as well as access to a self-help tool on periods and mental wellbeing.

A menstrual health symptom questionnaire has also been developed by NHS Education for Scotland and is available through the TURAS platform for healthcare professionals to share with women. It will also be available for women to access directly via the NHS Inform Women’s Health Platform shortly.

Through the NHS Inform Women’s Health Platform, we have made information on a range of health topics available to women online and in one place. Connections have been made throughout the platform with content on menstrual health symptoms, like heavy menstrual bleeding, linking to more information on possible causes, such as endometriosis, helping to raise awareness of the condition and supporting women to access the information they need when they need it.

As of December 2024 there have been:

• Almost 65,000 users on the life sections
• Over 986,000 views on the Periods pages
• Just under 3.2 million views on the Menopause pages

More information about the Women’s Health Platform can be found in the Women’s Health Plan Final Report.

We have no plans to establish a national advice helpline for people with endometriosis.

Through the NHS Inform Women’s Health Platform, we have made a range of information on endometriosis available to women online.

This includes signposting to peer support groups and organisations such as Endometriosis UK who operate a free, confidential helpline run by trained volunteers who have a personal experience of endometriosis.

There are also national helplines including 111, Breathing Space and The Samaritans for anyone who is struggling and needs someone to talk to.