Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for Mid & West Wales has called on the Welsh Government to do more to support residents across Carmarthenshire who suffer from health conditions which solely affect women.
Mr Campbell was speaking during a recent Plaid Cymru debate in the Senedd on women’s health, led by Sioned Williams MS and Rhun ap Iorwerth MS.
The debate called on the Welsh Government to develop a bespoke Women’s Health Strategy for Wales; provide consistent high-quality services, including specialist tertiary care; and invest in high quality research into women’s health and treatment, as well as enhanced training for healthcare professionals in Wales on women’s health areas.
The debate gained contributions from across the chamber, with many members highlighting the difficulties and distress many female constituents had faced in gaining appropriate diagnosis or specialist treatment from the NHS, as well as a gender inequality gap in healthcare provision.
Drawing from experiences of constituents across the Mid & West Wales region, Mr Campbell highlighted the situation faced by women suffering from endometriosis – often a painful disorder impacting the tissue of the uterus. The condition can lead to chronic pain, with an estimated 1 in 10 women suffering from the disorder. Despite the prevalence of the condition in women, diagnosis in Wales takes around 9 years – the longest in the whole of the UK.
Speaking in the Senedd, Mr Campbell highlighted the particular case of Emily, a 23 year-old constituent from Carmarthenshire, who, having suffered from crippling chronic pain from undiagnosed endometriosis for 9 years, was forced to pay for private care across the border in England – and is now experiencing chemically induced menopause.
Earlier this month, Hywel Dda University Health Board announced the creation of a new specialist role to raise awareness of endometriosis. Cefin Campbell MS has welcomed this announcement, however has suggested that “there is much more that can be done” by the Welsh Government to support women suffering from such condition in Mid & West Wales.
Speaking after the debate, Cefin Campbell MS said:
“There is currently little mention of women’s health – including maternity provision – in the Welsh Government’s existing long-term plan for health and social services, which is incurring a significant cost burden, not to mention a burden on the health of too many women across Wales.
Whilst I welcome recent work by the Welsh Government through local Health Boards to try and address conditions such as endometriosis and adenomyosis, there is much more that can be done, and too many women continue to live in chronic pain as a result of these debilitating disorders.
I know from correspondence with constituents that the less than rapid diagnoses and continued lack of understanding of the conditions have a life changing impact on women across Carmarthenshire. It’s vital the Welsh Government prioritise further investment in this area – securing a better understanding and treatment of these health conditions while addressing the growing gender inequality gap we are seeing in healthcare.”
