Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:56 pm on 1 February 2022.
Thank you very much, Llywydd. I'd like to ask for a statement from the Minister for health on the diagnosis and treatment of women with endometriosis. You will recall that, back in 2018, the recommendations of the endometriosis task and finish group were published. It seems like a million years ago, given all that's happened since, but I believe that the Welsh Government sought assurances from all the health boards that they were in a position to be compliant with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on the treatment of endometriosis. And, we had a subsequent debate on endometriosis in the Chamber in October 2020. But, tomorrow, I'm going to be meeting Beth Hales, who will be handing in a petition with nearly 6,000 signatures, which paints a deteriorating picture of the situation, not least that the only accredited specialist endometriosis centre, which is in Cardiff, has lost one of its three endo specialist consultants. And, according to the petition, there are no plans to fill that vacancy. So, I'd be extremely grateful if we could have an update from the Minister on exactly how health boards are approaching the backlog for women who need diagnosis and treatment for endometriosis, and I'm sure that will help inform the Petitions Committee, who are going to have to provide a response to these petitioners as to how we in the Senedd and the Welsh Government are going to address what is obviously a very painful situation for many, many women.