By Rachael Hamilton

Cons MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire

ENDOMETRIOSIS affects one in ten women nationwide, causing both physical and emotional pain.

Unfortunately, it takes an average of over eight years to receive a proper diagnosis.

Women who suffer from this devastating condition deserve urgent action to deliver improved treatment options and reduced waiting times.

Last week, I published a new policy paper on endometriosis with the help of local campaigners who suffer from this horrific condition, which I presented to the Scottish Government women’s health minister Jenni Minto at a meeting in the Scottish Parliament.

The paper was developed using expert advice alongside local Borders campaigners Tao McCready of Endometriosis South of Scotland, and Becky Leigh, of The Big Yellow Force, who have both written introductions to the paper.

Their groups represent dozens of women across the Borders who are seeking improved healthcare options.

Tao, for example, has highlighted that she was misdiagnosed for 17 years with a bad back, kidney infections, irritable bowel syndrome and even borderline personality disorder.

Both Tao and Becky have emphasised the years of misdiagnosis they have had to go through.

The pain and hardship that these women, and countless others have faced in trying to get the correct treatment is heart-breaking, and we must do everything we can to right this wrong.

The paper proposes 11 policies for the Scottish Government to take forward including delivering a specialist endometriosis nurse and clinic in every NHS health board in Scotland, ensuring every endometriosis patient has an individual plan to help their recovery, and providing more guidance to schools, colleges, and universities on helping those with endometriosis.

I have had tears brought to my eyes hearing about the pain women across the country have gone through in their journey with this disease, with many losing out on jobs and opportunities, and some unable to start a family.

Endometriosis costs the UK economy about £8.2b every year in healthcare costs, loss of work and treatments.

This paper aims to improve treatment options and reduce diagnosis times for women with this horrific condition.

It includes plans to increase awareness of this disease, which is surprisingly not well understood among some medical professionals.

I hope the Scottish Government will seriously consider these proposals and deliver the urgent action that those suffering from endometriosis deserve.

You can find my full policy paper at my website: www.rachaelhamilton.co.uk.