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The Endometriosis Care Pathway for NHS Scotland aims to support healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms.

To support health care professionals to improve their knowledge and understanding of endometriosis NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has launched an e-learning module on menstrual health available on Turas Learn. It is open to anyone working in NHS Scotland and in particular is aimed at those working in primary care.

Further training resources have been provided through the Women’s Health Masterclass on endometriosis which provided information on diagnosis, treatment and current research on endometriosis, raising awareness of the Pathway with attendees. The resources from this event are available on Turas Learn.

We are currently working with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) to develop new training resources on endometriosis, for general practitioners.

Through the Scottish National Menstrual Health Specialist Network healthcare professionals with a special interest in menstrual health have a forum for peer support and sharing expert clinical advice and best practice related to menstrual health symptoms and conditions.

More information can be found in the Women’s Health Plan 2021 - 2024 Final Report.

We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

This year, we have allocated over £450,000 to gynaecology from our £30 million targeted investment in planned care, delivering around 3,500 additional new outpatient appointments.

The 2025-26 Budget, if approved by Parliament, will provide a record £21 billion for Health & Social Care, including a commitment to provide £200 million to help reduce waiting times and address delayed discharge.

We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

This includes ensuring that women have access to care that adheres to the most up to date practice guidance. The endometriosis care pathway for NHS Scotland supports healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis type symptoms.

However, data on the percentage of women diagnosed with endometriosis currently receiving multidisciplinary care is not available.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advise flu vaccination for those aged 65 years and over. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Scotland expanded the programme to protect individuals, public services and the NHS. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Scottish Government made a policy decision to expanded the programme to protect individuals, public services and the NHS.

Eligibility criteria for the last three years are set out below.

2024-25:

• Residents in long-stay care homes / facilities
• Those aged 65+
• Those aged 18 to 64 at risk including:
  • clinical at-risk groups as per Green Book Chapter 19 (GBC19)
  • the homeless
  • those experiencing substance misuse
  • asylum seekers in Home Office hotel accommodation
  • prisoners
  • pregnant women
• Frontline health and social care workers
• Non-frontline NHS workers
• Poultry workers & bird keepers
• Unpaid carers and young carers
• Household contacts of the immunosuppressed
• Those aged 6 months to 2 years at clinical risk
• Those aged 2-5 years not yet at school
• Primary & secondary school children

2023-24:

• Residents in long-stay care homes / facilities
• Those aged 50 +
• Those aged 18 to 49 at risk including:
  • clinical at-risk groups as per GBC19
  • the homeless
  • those experiencing substance misuse
  • prisoners
  • pregnant women
• Frontline health and social care workers
• Non-frontline NHS workers
• Poultry workers
• Teachers
• Prison staff
• Unpaid carers and young carers
• Household contacts of the immunosuppressed
• Those aged 6 months to 2 years at clinical risk
• Those aged 2-5 years not yet at school
• Primary & secondary school children

2022-23:

• Residents in long-stay care homes / facilities
• Those aged 50 +
• Those aged 18 to 49 at risk including:
  • clinical at-risk groups as per GBC19
  • the homeless
  • those experiencing substance misuse
  • prisoners
  • pregnant women
• Frontline health and social care workers
• Non-frontline NHS workers
• Teachers
• Prison staff
• Unpaid carers and young carers
• Household contacts of the immunosuppressed
• Those aged 6 months to 2 years at clinical risk
• Those aged 2-5 years not yet at school
• Primary & secondary school children

We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

Through the Women’s Health Plan we have developed the Women’s Health Platform on NHS Inform which includes an endometriosis page with consistent, reliable and accessible information, including a lived experience film, empowering women to make informed decisions about their health. This includes information on endometriosis and fertility.

The endometriosis care pathway for NHS Scotland aims to support healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms and ensures that healthcare professionals are considering the impact of endometriosis on a woman’s fertility.

Our ambition is for a Scotland where health outcomes are equitable across the population so that all women enjoy the best possible health – throughout their lives. That is why endometriosis is one of the key priorities in the Women’s Health Plan and will continue to be so.

We are continuing work to improve the data we have on women’s health so that we can understand better the health of women and girls in Scotland, in the short, medium and longer term – including endometriosis.

More information on women’s health data can be found in the recently published data landscape review.

As policy implementation and delivery is carried out primarily within health boards, the total budget figures for policy implementation are not centrally held.

The Scottish Government’s published budgets for the last five years, including details of planned spending, are available online.

Scottish Budget: 2024 to 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Scottish Budget: 2023 to 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Scottish Budget 2022 to 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Scottish Budget 2021 to 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Scottish Budget 2020-2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

In March 2023 we delivered an engagement campaign in partnership with Young Scot to increase young people’s awareness of endometriosis. The campaign is aimed at those aged 11 to 25 in Scotland. The campaign includes information about endometriosis symptoms, provides information about available support and provides information on how to support a young person in the process of diagnosis or who may have endometriosis.

In addition to funding to support the expansion of access to diabetes technology already announced in the financial year 2024-2025, the draft Budget for 2025-2026 contains funding to support continued policy development various for long term conditions. We will always give careful consideration as to whether additional policy development is required for any condition, including chronic kidney disease.

More broadly, the draft Budget delivers a record £21 billion investment in health and social care, including core funding to NHS boards to deliver services. NHS boards have responsibility for deciding how to use this core funding to deliver services locally based on the needs of the people in their area, including people living with chronic kidney disease.

All retailers selling alcohol that despatches from a location in Scotland, including those selling online, are required to hold a licence to sell alcohol and must comply with the Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) requirements as a condition of licence.

The Scottish Government set out in its final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) an assessment of the effects of MUP on Scottish businesses, including in relation to cross-border and online sales.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with business and industry, and a range of other key stakeholders, following the price increase and continuation of MUP from 30 September. As a developing market the Scottish Government continues to keep the effect and impact of online sales of alcohol under review.