Today, National World is launching the Endo the Battle campaign, to amplify the voices of those battling to access endometriosis care.
To mark Endometrosis Awareness Month, we will be telling the stories of those who had to seek care in the private healthcare sector, or travel abroad, to make those in power aware of the huge impact this can have on both them and their families.
Over the next three weeks, the Endo the Battle campaign will run across National World’s titles in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This includes the stories of a woman who estimates she has lost £400,000 to the disease, patients who have travelled more than 2,000 miles for surgery, and many who waited decades for a diagnosis.
The campaign is being spearheaded by Sarah McCann, a health writer across the National World portfolio who knows all too well about the uphill battle to access endometriosis care.
Sarah, of Belfast, said: “Living with endometriosis is an uphill battle, from getting a diagnosis to navigating daily life and even accessing healthcare.
“It took me 20 years to get a diagnosis, and since then I have had to fight at every corner for treatment - and the financial impact has been huge. But my story, sadly, is not unique.”
The publisher is calling for those who have been diagnosed with endometriosis, or have experienced symptoms, to take part in an anonymous survey.
Collecting the experiences of people across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, National World will write an open letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting and devolved Governments documenting the experiences of those living with endometriosis - calling for more to be done to cut NHS waiting times and remove barriers to accessing care.
In November 2024, new research revealed that waiting lists for gynaecology in the UK had doubled, with around three-quarters of a million women waiting for an appointment. The average waiting time for an endometriosis diagnosis in England and Scotland is eight years and 10 months, in Northern Ireland this is nine years and five months, whilst patients in Wales can wait nine years and 11 months.
Sarah added: “Too many people are facing the tough choice of long waiting lists, paying privately, or travelling for care. I wanted to raise awareness of this and the huge impact it can have on both them and their families.
“We want to start saving for our future, not for our next surgery.”
