Chamber and committees

As policy implementation and delivery is carried out primarily within health boards, the total budget figures for policy implementation are not centrally held.

The Scottish Government’s published budgets for the last five years, including details of planned spending, are available online.

Scottish Budget: 2024 to 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Scottish Budget: 2023 to 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Scottish Budget 2022 to 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Scottish Budget 2021 to 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Scottish Budget 2020-2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

In March 2023 we delivered an engagement campaign in partnership with Young Scot to increase young people’s awareness of endometriosis. The campaign is aimed at those aged 11 to 25 in Scotland. The campaign includes information about endometriosis symptoms, provides information about available support and provides information on how to support a young person in the process of diagnosis or who may have endometriosis.

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. The pathway ensures that healthcare professionals are considering women’s need for and access to pain management. All NHS Boards should be taking steps to implement the pathway.

Through the Women’s Health Plan we have developed the Women’s Health Platform on NHS Inform which includes an endometriosis page with consistent, reliable and accessible information, including a lived experience film, empowering women to make informed decisions about their health.

To increase the information available to women, we funded Endometriosis UK to produce a booklet and two webinars on treatments and self-management tips for managing endometriosis pain.

More information is available in the Women’s Health Plan 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. Endometriosis will continue to be a priority as we develop the next phase of our Women’s Health Plan.

This data is not routinely collected however, the Report “Dismissed, ignored and belittled - The long road to endometriosis diagnosis in the UK” published by Endometriosis UK in March 2024 states that a survey of 4,371 people who have received a diagnosis of endometriosis shows ...52% had visited A&E at least once. 26% of respondents visited A&E 3 or more times with symptoms prior to diagnosis.

Our ambition is for a Scotland where health outcomes are equitable across the population so that all women enjoy the best possible health – throughout their lives. That is why endometriosis is one of the key priorities in the Women’s Health Plan and will continue to be so.

Information about the progress to date against each of the priorities in the Women’s Health Plan can be found in the Women’s Health Plan Final Report.

The number of full-time equivalent civil servants is broken down by policy area and condition as follows:

This information is not held centrally.

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

The Endometriosis Care Pathway for Scotland, adapted from NICE guidance, provides a streamlined integrated primary, secondary and tertiary care pathway aimed at providing a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms.

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

We will build on the progress set out in the Women’s Health Plan 2021 - 2024 Final Report, as we work towards 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.

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.

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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30034 on 3 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Retail Industry Leadership Group, co-chaired by myself and Polly Jones, Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs, Asda, is in the process of finalising a refreshed Terms of Reference (ToR) to better reflect the ongoing work of the Group. All members have had the opportunity to provide their views on this process, including a discussion on the ToR at an ILG meeting on 06 November 2024. The revised ToR, which now includes a redrafted line highlighting that the Group will promote the interests of businesses in all their sizes and formats, is expected to be published on the ILG gov.scot page in early 2025.