Surrey-based medical testing specialist Lawmed has announced the opening of two new clinics to keep pace with demand for its services. The firm operating under It’s About Time by Lawmed offers endometriosis testing to women and adolescent girls, to enable them to receive a diagnosis and achieve a treatment pathway via an endometriosis specialist. They have announced two new clinics, the first at MC Clinic, Swinton, which will specifically serve Manchester and the North West of England adolescent populations. The second is at Aim Health, Hoylake, Wirral. The new facility will help serve patients in the North West, Liverpool, Cheshire, and North Wales.
With more than 25 years dedicated to advancing health and improving patient wellbeing, Lawmed has introduced It’s About Time through its Women’s Health division, a dedicated initiative focused on supporting women and adolescent girls with endometriosis. The service utilises the innovative EndoSure non-invasive, diagnostic test that enables patients to receive a positive or negative diagnosis in an hour and establish a treatment pathway with their GP or the endometriosis specialist associated with the clinic.
Consultant gynaecologist Dr. Gail Busby, medical adviser to It’s About Time, explains:
“Endometriosis is a chronic condition. It occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb, called the endometrium, grows outside the uterus, often in the pelvic area. This tissue growth causes inflammation, pain, scar tissue, and fertility issues. Critically, this out-of-place tissue behaves like normal endometrial tissue, breaking down and bleeding during a menstrual cycle but is unable to leave the body.
“Symptoms of endometriosis can be debilitating and include severe period pain, heavy bleeding, pain during sex, bowel or bladder problems, and difficulty getting pregnant.”
Dr. Gail adds:
“The first signs of endometriosis can begin in adolescence and are often dismissed as normal developmental pain, which can lead to significant delays in diagnosis and treatment.
“Early diagnosis of endometriosis is important to help women, both young and older, access the right treatment pathway.”
The scale of endometriosis is significant. It’s estimated that around 1.5 million women in the UK have endometriosis. This means that around 1 in 10 women of reproductive age live with this chronic and debilitating condition, often undiagnosed and untreated.
About 15% of women with endometriosis have the advanced stage of the condition which can be diagnosed using ultrasound or MRI. However, around 70% of women with the disease have early-stage endometriosis. They have symptoms but these cannot be diagnosed with ultrasound. As a result, many face years of waiting before receiving a formal diagnosis.
Lawmed’s Women’s Health division director, Ian Fairfax, highlights:
“It’s About Time is a licensed provider of the EndoSure diagnostic test. This is a simple non-invasive procedure, which is similar to the process used for a heart trace. Electrodes are placed on the abdomen and monitor the electrical activity of the intestinal tract over a 30-minute period.
“The test carries no risks and does not require anaesthesia. The results of the EndoSure test are conclusive and can support GPs in placing women affected by endometriosis on the right treatment pathway. We’re growing to reach more women, giving them the opportunity to access reliable testing, secure a diagnosis, and begin an appropriate treatment pathway through their GP.”