Local MSP Rachael Hamilton has today (Wednesday) published a new policy paper on endometriosis with the help of local campaigners who suffer from the horrific condition.
The debilitating disease takes more than eight years to diagnose on average, despite 1 in 10 women in Scotland living with it.
Scottish Borders MSP Rachael Hamilton presented the policy paper to Scottish Government Women's Health Minister Jenni Minto at a meeting in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday.
The paper was developed using expert advice alongside local campaigners Tao McCready of Endo SOS and Becky Leigh of The Big Yellow Force, who have both written introductions to the paper. Their groups represent dozens of women across the South of Scotland who are seeking improved healthcare options.
Ms McCready, who joined Ms Hamilton and Ms Minto in the meeting on Tuesday, wrote that she was misdiagnosed for 17 years with a bad back, kidney infections, irritable bowel syndrome and even borderline personality disorder. She said: "Because I was left for 17 years with no answers, endometriosis affected my fertility. This breaks my heart and I struggle to speak about it, even now."
In her introduction, Ms Leigh wrote: "To live with endometriosis doesn’t really feel like living at all....Endometriosis is not even being able to find a medical professional who can help, or that doesn’t dismiss you altogether for the average of eight years before diagnosis."
The paper includes 11 policy proposals for the Scottish Government to take forward including the following:
- Delivering a specialist endometriosis nurse and specialist clinic in every NHS board.
- Ensuring every endometriosis patient has an individual plan including mental health and nutritional support.
- Provide guidance to schools, colleges and universities on helping people with endometriosis.
Scottish Borders MSP, Rachael Hamilton, said: "I was inspired to produce this new policy paper after hearing heart breaking stories from dozens of women across the Scottish Borders who have had their lives upturned by endometriosis.
"Hearing about the pain women like Tao McCready and Becky Leigh go through has brought tears to my eyes.
"This cruel illness has meant that some women have lost jobs, some have missed out on opportunities, some may not be able to have a family. It can cost them their health, their careers, their education and their relationships.
"My paper aims to improve treatment options and reduce diagnosis times for women with this horrific condition. It includes plans to increase awareness of this disease, which is surprisingly not well known even among some medical professionals.
"I am determined to help these women any way I can. I hope the Scottish Government will seriously consider these proposals and deliver the urgent action that people suffering from endometriosis deserve."
