"Bad periods are normal. Take paracetamol.", what you've probably been told
Endometriosis
NHS guideline NG73 sets out a clear pathway for assessment, investigation and referral of suspected endometriosis. It is explicit that diagnosis should not depend on transvaginal ultrasound being normal.
The wait: Average UK diagnostic delay is 9 years and 4 months (Endometriosis UK, February 2026).
What GPs miss
Endometriosis UK puts the UK average at 9 years and 4 months from the first GP visit with symptoms to diagnosis (The State of Endometriosis Care in the UK, February 2026). NG73 is clear: persistent pelvic pain, period-related pain affecting daily activities, and certain associated symptoms warrant investigation and gynaecology referral, not repeated reassurance.
The letter asks for
- An NG73-aligned assessment for endometriosis
- Pelvic ultrasound (with caveat that a normal scan does not exclude the diagnosis)
- Referral to a gynaecology service or specialist endometriosis centre
Ready to act on what you just read?
Get a formal Endometriosis letter to your GP, drafted, cited, and sent in minutes.
Frequently asked questions
My ultrasound was normal, does that rule out endometriosis?
No. NG73 explicitly states a normal ultrasound does not exclude endometriosis. The letter cites this directly.
What you hear vs. what NG73 says
What's usually said in the room
"Bad periods are normal. Take paracetamol."
What the guideline actually says
Endometriosis UK puts the UK average at 9 years and 4 months from the first GP visit with symptoms to diagnosis (The State of Endometriosis Care in the UK, February 2026). NG73 is clear: persistent pelvic pain, period-related pain affecting daily activities, and certain associated symptoms warrant investigation and gynaecology referral, not repeated reassurance.
What to do next
You have just read what the guidance says. The gap most people hit next is getting that in writing, on their record, in front of their GP.
Your GP has not acted on it
We draft a formal letter to your NHS GP citing NG73, built from a 3 minute assessment in your own words. £39. Free redraft if anything reads wrong.
You are claiming PIP for this too
PIP award rates, trend and mandatory reconsideration for endometriosis, computed from the DWP's Stat-Xplore database.
The same page covers what to do if you have already been refused.
You send the letter, not us. General information, not medical advice.
Where Endometriosis sits in the DWP's PIP award-rate league table
Benefits and rights for Endometriosis
Outcomes from people with Endometriosis
One short email each Sunday, anonymised stories from people who put their case to their GP in writing.