Two years ago, I started this petition after experiencing what I can only describe as neglect — and at times, borderline abuse — while seeking help for severe and debilitating endometriosis flare-ups through my local A&E.

I wish I could say things have improved since then, but the reality is they haven’t — and that’s exactly why I’m writing this now.

As Endometriosis Awareness Month comes to an end, the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has announced that East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust — the trust responsible for William Harvey Hospital — is being placed into an “intensive recovery” programme.

On paper, that sounds promising — but for patients like me, this isn’t just a headline.

It’s confirmation of what many of us have been living through for years.

I am not just a patient.

I work in healthcare.

I understand the pressures the NHS is under.

But nothing — absolutely nothing — justifies being dismissed, left in unmanaged pain, or made to feel like your suffering is not real.

Endometriosis is already a condition where people wait years for diagnosis — so what happens when, even in crisis, the system meant to help you doesn’t listen?

This petition was never just about my experience — it’s about the thousands of others who have reached out to me since, sharing stories that are heartbreakingly similar.

Stories of being ignored.

Dismissed.

Left to cope alone — vulnerable, scared, and in pain.

43,000+ people across the world have already signed this petition.

That number represents voices. Real people. Real suffering — and yet, the reality on the ground has not changed enough.

So I’m asking — especially right now, while this trust is under national scrutiny:

• Please sign if you haven’t already

• Please share this so more people see it

• Please help make sure this moment leads to real change — not just words

“Recovery” should not just be about systems.       It should be about patients — and right now, patients are still being failed.

Because this could affect any of us.

1 in 10 women are affected by endometriosis, and many more experience ongoing challenges with women’s health;

That could be you, your mum, your sister, your friend, your daughter, your partner.

Share this for the people in your life who know the reality of this condition — or may one day have to.

If you are a journalist, healthcare professional, or someone who has experienced similar care — I am more than willing to speak openly about this.

This cannot keep being ignored.

- Amy