Danny Healy-Rae urges ministers to prioritise endometriosis care
Danny Healy-Rae addressed endometriosis in a parliamentary debate, urging ministers and the government to prioritise care and ensure women receive timely diagnosis and treatment. He criticised instances where women's pain is dismissed as 'in their head' and called for better GP awareness and improved support across hospitals and consultants.
He appealed directly to the minister and to the government to make endometriosis a priority, saying girls and women presenting with the condition should be seen as a priority and asking members to work together rather than oppose measures to improve treatment.
He said he was appalled that some speakers suggested sufferers were 'only imagining' their pain and rejected the idea that symptoms should be fobbed off as being in a woman's head.
He questioned whether GPs, consultants and hospitals are sufficiently informed or resourced to recognise and treat endometriosis, and urged the government to identify and fix where services are falling down.
He described the long-term suffering of women who endured pain in silence, noted the strain on families that depend on mothers, and called for swift action to ensure better care, diagnosis and treatment for those affected.
Call for prioritisation
He appealed directly to the minister and to the government to make endometriosis a priority, saying girls and women presenting with the condition should be seen as a priority and asking members to work together rather than oppose measures to improve treatment.
Criticism of dismissive attitudes
He said he was appalled that some speakers suggested sufferers were 'only imagining' their pain and rejected the idea that symptoms should be fobbed off as being in a woman's head.
Concerns about healthcare provision
He questioned whether GPs, consultants and hospitals are sufficiently informed or resourced to recognise and treat endometriosis, and urged the government to identify and fix where services are falling down.
Impact on women and families
He described the long-term suffering of women who endured pain in silence, noted the strain on families that depend on mothers, and called for swift action to ensure better care, diagnosis and treatment for those affected.
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Transcript
I'm glad to get the opportunity to talk on this very important motion. I want to thank Sinn Féin for bringing it before us here tonight. I want to welcome all the people and to the gallery that had to come here, all the girls and women and we're sorry that he have to come to highlight your condition and your problem but why not because you're very welcome here and it's sad to hear and see that what he have had to suffer and when we see a figure like 10% of women I mean if it was only 2% of women to be still too much. I mean pain or anyone suffering pain that's absolutely a no-no and we should do everything possible to ensure that any women that present with this endometriosis is seen after as a priority and I was appalled when I had someone of the speakers here saying that people are often frowned upon that is in their head or that they're only imagining it. That's not right and and and when there's so much people presenting with it you think that the GPs would be more informed and understand all the different conditions that would suggest that it is in endometriosis. I'm appealing to you minister you're a woman and Minister Troy beside you and the government to do whatever is necessary to see after these people. It galls me to hear that maybe people in times gone by, women in times gone by, had to suffer pain when when that so when when when families depended on the mother so much and the woman in the home and we all do and and we have to appreciate them and we and see after them and and look this is a very serious thing you have to prioritize it ministers and ensure that whatever is lacking or whatever is is falling falling down or where we're falling down you know whether it is our GPs whether it is our consultants whether it is our hospitals or whatever this has to be prioritized as it is going on for long enough when we hear that the women that came before us suffered in agony and suffered in pain and suffered silently that's terrible I feel for anyone that has pain and it happens from time to time and and and I know people that passed on suffering fears pain and it is the last thing that we want to hear is anyone suffering in pain and and it's not fair with all the with all the things that we have today and the affluent society that we have this this matter will have to be seen after and and taken care of and again minister you're a woman in cabinet and we're looking up to you to set out all of the health problems but I'm asked you to prioritize this this this endometriosis and problem that that that the women have and to set it out as as soon as you can and I'm appealing to you not to oppose this most not think of any other amendment we have to work together to ensure that this is is is is is sutter note and and and that all these girls here there and everywhere there there's a woman that if they're suffering and this is and needs to be treated it should be treated it first and and foremost and and ensure that we get better no move on from the times that that people were suffering in silence again look at me there's all the speeches thank you