Women in the UK are waiting an average of eight years and ten months for an endometriosis diagnosis, according to a new study by Endometriosis UK. This marks a ten-month increase since 2020, with waiting times worsening significantly over the past three years. In Scotland, the average diagnosis time has risen by four months.
The survey of 4,371 diagnosed individuals found that 47% visited their GP ten or more times before receiving a diagnosis, and 70% visited five times or more. Only 10% of respondents said their GP suspected endometriosis at their first or second appointment. More than half had attended A&E at least once due to symptoms.
Endometriosis UK chief executive Emma Cox called the delays “unacceptable” and urged decision-makers to stop minimising the condition’s impact. The charity is calling for a target of an average diagnosis time of one year or less by 2030, alongside reduced gynaecology waiting times. The condition, which affects around one in ten women of child-bearing age, can only be definitively diagnosed via laparoscopy.
Women’s health minister Maria Caulfield acknowledged that “more must be done” and highlighted endometriosis as a priority area in the government’s women’s health strategy. She pointed to the rollout of women’s health hubs across England to improve specialist care. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists also stressed the need for education and national campaigns to address the complex barriers to timely diagnosis.
