The Federal Government has announced it’ll open 20 Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinics across Australia, which is a huge win given how under-diagnosed reproductive health issues often are. However, whether the clinics will be well-staffed and resourced remains to be seen.
Both Libs and Labor were committed to funding 16 new Endometriosis clinics, but the addition by Labor of another four is new and exciting.
There will be at least one clinic in every state and territory, both in metropolitan and regional areas, and all of them will work in existing general practice.
Each clinic will receive around $700,000 in funding from the government over four years, to “support hiring specialised staff, including nurse practitioners and allied health professionals, investment in equipment or fit-outs such as pelvic physiotherapy areas, as well as resources, training and development”.
The gold standard form of diagnosis and treatment is excision surgery however not all regular gynaecologists are actually trained in this speciality. Endo excision specialists are extremely hard to come by, especially in regional/rural areas and via public health system…
