Jim Shannon

It is obviously a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I thank the hon. Member for Ipswich (Jack Abbott) for leading today’s debate on this crucial issue. Support for women’s gynaecology services is so important. I know from speaking to many ladies, and indeed nurses, back home in Northern Ireland that endometriosis services in particular are suffering drastically. The conversation about that must be had now. It is a conversation that has been had a few times in Westminster Hall, as well as on the Floor of the House through questions. It is a pleasure to see the Minister in her place. She is earning her money today, as this is the second debate she has responded to. It is a genuine pleasure. I know the Minister has pursued this topic over a number of years as an MP, but now she has the opportunity to respond to the requests from the hon. Member for Ipswich and from me, and I look forward to her response. Endometriosis is a chronic and often debilitating condition affecting around one in 10 women of reproductive age, yet it remains widely underdiagnosed and clinically misunderstood. In Northern Ireland, many women face long waiting times for diagnosis and treatment, limited access to specialist services, and significant pressures within gynaecology pathways. As a result of all that, patients often endure years of pain and uncertainty, as well as disruption to their daily lives, work, education and family life in general. I have spoken with numerous young people about this over the years, and have personal experience of it from the women in my life. When my wife and I got married, the doctor told Sandra that, “If you have a baby quickly, everything will clear up.” Well, no it did not—and three babies later, it still had not cleared up. I am not better than anybody else, but I have some knowledge of what it is like for a woman to deal with that every day.