Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 15
15
Deferred
Mandate NHS practitioners to stay updated and address regional disparities in reproductive health treatments.
Conclusion
The NHS must take steps to ensure healthcare practitioners keep up to date with the full range of diagnostic and treatment options available for reproductive health conditions. Those options, as well as waiting times and potential outcomes of surgical procedures and non-invasive alternatives, should be communicated to patients as a matter of course to allow informed, shared decision making. The NHS should identify and address any regional disparities in the availability of particular treatments and support. (Paragraph 66) 74 Pain of investigation
Government Response Summary
The government did not address the recommendation for healthcare practitioners to keep up to date on treatment options, communicate these to patients, or address regional disparities. Instead, it focused on the problematic use of the term 'benign gynaecology', committing that NHS England is working with lived experience individuals and will review internal information using this term.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The government recognises the harm that can come from the use of the word ‘benign’ to describe some gynaecological conditions. In clinical terminology, the term ‘benign’ is commonly used across medical specialties to distinguish between malignant and non-malignant conditions, such as cancer versus non-cancerous tumours. However, in gynaecology, ‘benign gynaecology’ has also come to describe non-cancerous conditions, which may inadvertently downplay the impact of these conditions and create a perceived hierarchy of importance between cancer and non-cancer conditions. We acknowledge the legitimate concern that this terminology may lead to conditions such as endometriosis and heavy menstrual bleeding being seen as less serious, despite the severe and sometimes debilitating impact that they can have on patients’ health, careers and families. DHSC uses the term ‘gynaecological conditions’. For example, the government’s Women’s Health Strategy for England (linked in ‘Introduction’ above) has a priority chapter on ‘Menstrual health and gynaecological conditions’. This does not refer to ‘benign gynaecology’. We support RCOG in advocating for a shift away from using the term ‘benign gynaecology’ in NHS settings. RCOG itself does not use the term ‘benign’ when referring to non-cancerous gynaecology conditions. NHS England also recognises the need for language to accurately reflect the lived experiences of individuals with reproductive health conditions, not to minimise the impact that these conditions have on their lives. NHS England is working with individuals with lived experience to explore the impact of terminology within clinical settings. This issue will form part of discussions at the upcoming roundtable on women’s experiences of pain, ensuring that women’s voices are central to this work. NHS England will also review internal information currently using the term ‘benign gynaecology’. Collaboration with stakeholders - including the Royal colleges, NICE and other professional bodies - will help identify and move towards preferred terminology across the healthcare system. Women’s voices must be at the heart of this work.