To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of updating the NICE guidelines on endometriosis with regards to (a) pain management, (b) care pathways for endometriosis outside the pelvic area and (c) mental health.
Answered on
20 May 2022
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline on the diagnosis and management of endometriosis includes recommendations on pharmacological pain management and organisation of care. It recognises that people with endometriosis may have complex needs and require long-term support. The guideline states that women with suspected or confirmed endometriosis should be provided with information and support which takes their psychosexual and emotional needs into account.
NICE reviewed its endometriosis guideline in late 2021 and amended the guideline to highlight that people with endometriosis outside the pelvic cavity should be referred to a specialist endometriosis centre. NICE plans to carry out a further review of its guideline on endometriosis in 2022/23 to determine whether it should be updated.