Meeting of the Parliament 12 November 2024
I thank Rachael Hamilton for her work, specifically in the Borders, on endometriosis diagnosis times. I recognise that diagnosis times for endometriosis are too long and that we need to find ways to address them. That was one of the benefits of my meeting the staff at the centre in Aberdeen and across the health board, because they are passionate about supporting women who live with that challenging condition to access high-quality care. As part of our work, we have jointly funded a £0.25 million research project with Wellbeing of Women, which aims to develop a new treatment option for endometriosis-associated pain. We still have work to do—I recognise that—but the issue is certainly on our radar.
There has also been progress in a range of other areas. A specialist menopause service has been established in every mainland health board, and a buddy support system is in place for island health boards. We have worked with the University of Glasgow on groundbreaking research that asked women who work in NHS Scotland about their experience of menstrual health and menopause in the workplace. Based on that research and the views of more than 6,000 women, we published a menstrual health and menopause workplace policy for NHS Scotland. The recently published final report on our women’s health plan provides more detail on the three years of implementation. Importantly, the report has been published alongside two companion pieces: a review of the data landscape and a report by the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland on its lived experience programme. That is a key part of the delivery of the women’s health plan, which will ensure that women’s voices are at the heart of our work.
Once again, I note my thanks to everyone who has been involved in delivering the first phase of the women’s health plan. It has been a nationwide, collective effort. I particularly thank those in the chamber who continue to advocate for the health of women and girls. I really value the input that we have had from many members, and I hope that we can continue in the spirit of collaboration and joint effort as we move into the next phase of essential work.
It is important to highlight that the women’s health plan does not exist in isolation. Women make up the majority of our population, at 51.4 per cent of it, and women and girls have particular needs that must be addressed across the breadth of health policy. Work is being undertaken across the Scottish Government and the NHS to progress improvements in women’s health and access to healthcare services. Maternity services have a key role to play in supporting women’s health throughout and after pregnancy. The best start programme is our plan for putting women, babies and families at the centre of maternity and neonatal care. We want all women and their babies in Scotland to receive the best and safest care possible at all times. Working in partnership with NHS boards, including Healthcare Improvement Scotland, clinicians and women, we are committed to continuous improvement in maternity safety.