The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) has today published ‘Endometriosis: A Long and Painful Road’.
NCEPOD reviewed the pathway and quality of care provided to patients aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of endometriosis during a sampling period of 1 February 2018 to 31 July 2020. This was undertaken with wide multidisciplinary input, reviewing the care of patients with endometriosis who underwent a surgical laparoscopy during the study period.
Responding to the publication, Dr Geeta Kumar, RCOG Vice President for Clinical Quality, said: “Endometriosis is a chronic condition that can have a significant impact on the physical and mental health of those living with it, and delayed diagnosis is currently a significant issue.
“This insightful ‘deep dive’ into how women and people with endometriosis are cared for by the NHS found room for improvement in around half of the patient cases studied. Clear recommendations are provided for NHS organisations, Royal Colleges and individual teams to support through audit and quality improvement initiatives.
“The overarching message is to implement holistic, joined up multidisciplinary care with appropriate referral pathways accessible for both primary and secondary care including discharge planning and follow-up. Women reported better care experiences when referred to specialist centres and the key role of specialist endometriosis nurses also shines through.
“Surgical theatre capacity is identified in the report as a factor in the delayed initiation of appropriate management and diagnosis. The RCOG is continuing to call for gynaecological theatre capacity to be prioritised by hospitals to tackle the significant gynaecology waiting lists, recognising this has been deprioritised and underfunded for too long.
“The RCOG is also committed to awareness raising and education activities to support endometriosis care improvement. Clinicians are encouraged to attend educational events such as the upcoming RCOG webinar on endometriosis management on 31 July, where expert speakers will be discussing the latest diagnostic and management updates.”