This paper has been sent more than 40 testimonies from across the UK – with around 15 cases in Suffolk – showing women being left for more than ten years without a diagnosis.

Among the submissions were women reporting they were told to “get on with it” by doctors and young professionals having to quit their jobs, university degrees and hobbies due to pain.

The women were based in Stowmarket, Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and other locations in Suffolk.

Faye Ramsey, from Ipswich, has helped compile more dozens of cases across the region. (Image: Contributed)

Faye Ramsey, 31, an Ipswich mother of two and full-time teaching assistant, helped compile the cases after she endured a “decade of severe pain that was repeatedly dismissed as IBS or bad periods.”

She says that “medical gaslighting” has left women across the country without the right care and is calling for further education and research.

In November last year, extreme pain, vomiting, and nausea forced Miss Ramsey off work, and her two children watched her collapse due to the pain, leaving them terrified.

Faye Ramsey with her family in Ipswich. (Image: Contributed)

She said: “The NHS is failing women across Suffolk. It’s really sad.

“On so many occasions I’ve been told the pain is in my head”.

“I’ve never wanted to put the NHS down, as they are the backbone of the nation, but dealing with these situations, it’s just not good enough.

“Research going into the disease needs more funding, there needs to be more specialists and children need to be taught that periods shouldn’t be causing you to miss time off work or school.

An example of ‘endo-belly’ which is caused by extreme inflammation inside the abdomen. (Image: Amy Peckham-Driver)

“Hopefully, the next generation of women don’t have to experience what we all have.”

Adenomyosis and endometriosis are conditions where endometrial-like tissue grows abnormally, causing pain and heavy periods.

Miss Ramsey was able to get surgery in March 2025 and was diagnosed with endometriosis.

She had been visiting Ipswich Hospital since 2015, and was promised a referral to a specialist at Colchester Hospital in July 2025 – but she later found out this referral had never been sent.

The hospital blamed “an administrative backlog” and East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust has apologised for the mistake.

Amy Peckham-Driver says the condition had a huge impact on her health and appearance. (Image: Amy Peckham-Driver)

Campaigner Amy Peckham-Driver, from Ipswich, says she also recognises these experiences after waiting ten years for treatment.

She said: : “As an endometriosis sufferer, I’m all too familiar with NHS waiting lists and the catastrophic impact they can have on a person’s life.

“With progressive diseases like mine, time spent on a waiting list can literally mean the difference between losing an organ or not, having a baby or not, or between simply surviving and being able to live a full life.

“This is why it’s absolutely critical to strengthen education around women’s health conditions – not just on the patient side, but on the practitioner side, too – so that future generations don’t have to face the unavoidable loss I’ve been forced to live with.”

Amy Peckham-Driver will be speaking at The Hold in Ipswich in March. (Image: Let’s Talk Women’s Health)

Miss Peckham-Driver will be speaking at the Let’s Talk Women’s Health event – the first of its kind in the UK – at The Hold in Ipswich on March 21. Tickets are on sale on Eventbrite. 

Endometriosis UK say the average time for a diagnosis of endometriosis in the UK in 2024 was 8 years and 10 months, with numbers expected to remain the same in 2026.

Catherine Morgan, Deputy Chief Executive. (Image: ESNEFT)

ESNEFT Chief nurse Catherine Morgan said: “We appreciate how difficult it can be for people who are waiting, particularly if they are in pain and discomfort, for their treatment.

“Our teams are doing all they can to provide timely care for everyone on our waiting lists.

“We are grateful to Ms Ramsey for bringing her concerns to our attention.

“We investigated them on her behalf and apologised for the delays and her experience.

“We’re continually reviewing how we can improve care and treatment for patients with endometriosis and pelvic pain going forward.

“Measures are in place to improve patient experience and communication so we can make sure we see patients in the right place, at the right time.

“We are also running extra clinics and theatres most weekends to bring down our waiting times.”