Healthwatch share black women’s experiences of fibroids and endometriosis care in Lambeth
Healthwatch Lambeth have published a new report bringing together the experiences of 20 Black women affected by fibroids and/or endometriosis, who shared their stories through focus groups and interviews.
Their accounts show the significant impact that these conditions have on women’s health, wellbeing, and quality of life and highlight practical steps local services can take to improve experiences of care for Black women in Lambeth.
Findings
Women told them their symptoms were serious, disruptive, and life altering but often normalised by their families and community.
Some women encountered healthcare professionals who were supportive, proactive, and believed them. Others faced a lack of investigation, dismissal due to age or life stage, and having to prove their symptoms to access care.
Race and gender influenced care. Women were affected by the normalisation of Black women’s suffering, assumptions about pain tolerance and behaviour, limited representation among health professionals, and the general dismissal of women’s health.
Diagnosis and referrals were often delayed, with long wait times and poor follow-up between services. Treatment discussions were not consistently person-centred, often feeling rushed and overly clinician led. Women also described feeling abandoned after surgical procedures with limited aftercare.
When services did not meet their needs, women relied on coping strategies to manage symptoms and online research and peer support to fill information gaps. Self-advocacy was seen as necessary to accessing care.
“I feel like GPs and doctors don’t even realise they’re doing it. It’s normal to assume that black women can do this, or they can do that, or their bodies react differently… And I think, no, we’re all human, and I should be treated just like that lady over there.” – Janelle (fibroids)
Recommendations
Based on women’s feedback, we developed recommendations for services covering the entire care journey, from early recognition to diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare. We also make recommendations on equity and culturally competent care, information and empowerment, and co-production and system improvement.
You can read the full report on our website on our website here It includes findings, recommendations, and responses from King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust, and the Lambeth Women’s and Girls’ Hub.
The Brave Project
This report is part of The Brave Project – Black Reproductive Health: Advancing Voices and Experiences, which brings together important local evidence on the impact of these conditions on women’s lives and how experiences could improve. improvements. So far, it consists of this qualitative research report and a video sharing one woman’s story in depth. Watch the video and find out more about the Brave Project.
For questions about this project, please contact Healthwatch Lambeth:
Tel: 020 7274 8522