Rapid endometriosis tests to be made available on NHS in England and Wales

Two tests that can dramatically speed up diagnosis of endometriosis are to be made available on the NHS in England and Wales, in a move hailed as a “gamechanger” for millions of women.

One in 10 women of reproductive age are affected by the condition, where tissue similar to that found in the womb lining grows elsewhere, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Symptoms include painful periods, painful bowel movements, pain when urinating and pain during or after sex.

Current tests include ultrasound scans, MRI or a laparoscopy – where a camera is inserted through a tiny cut in the stomach. But despite the devastating effect it can have on a woman’s physical and mental health, and the large numbers affected, getting a diagnosis can take years.

Now the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has given the green light to two tests, EndoSure and Endotest. It says they will help rapidly reduce the time it takes for women to be told whether they have the condition. One provides results in just 45 minutes.

Dr Anastasia Chalkidou, Nice’s healthtech programme director, said: “A diagnosis of endometriosis can for some women take the best part of a decade, with the UK average standing at nine years and four months, and rising to 11 years for those from ethnically diverse communities.”

Delays meant chronic pain, affecting daily life, relationships and work, she said. “These technologies have the potential to change that by giving primary care professionals better non-invasive tools to identify endometriosis earlier, allowing earlier and better treatment.

“Our draft guidance reflects our commitment to getting promising innovations to patients quickly, while making sure the evidence to support their wider use is built in a rigorous way.”

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Source: The Guardian, 7 July 2026