Better health care is available to women across south-eastern NSW with the opening of one of Australia's first endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics in Milton.
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Endometriosis affects more than one in every nine Australian women, and by taking a new and multi-disciplinary approach to the problem, the clinic aims to cut the seven year average delay from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis.
Part of that will be adopting a multi-disciplinary approach to patients.
Dr Amanda Venables from the Milton Medical Centre said patients would be referred to the clinic by their GPs or they could self-refer.
The first appointment would be with clinical nurse leader Susan Wilford, Dr Venables said, before a patient is handed over to a GP and given the option of shared appointments, bringing in other health professionals including a gynecologist, specialist physiotherapist, psychologist, nutritionist, yoga and meditation coach and sexologist.
Part of the role of the team would be to look at alternatives to surgery, Dr Venables said.
Physiotherapist specialising in pelvic health and pain management, Clare Fitzgerald, said endometriosis was just one of many issues causing pelvic pain.
"For some women surgery's not the solution because endometriosis wasn't the problem in the first place," Ms Fitzgerald said.
A multidisciplinary team worked well in cases mon pelvic pain, she said, looking at things like pain management and gentle exercise.
"If we all work together as a team then great things can happen," Ms Fitzgerald said.
"Shared care clinics are the way of the future."
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The clinic has been funded by a $700,000 federal government grant, organised through the South Eastern Primary Health Network, Coordinare.
Federal Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips, said the clinic "has the potential to change lives for the better".
Dr Venables said the clinic would be "utilising a biopsychosocial approach to empower, educate and manage patients who experience symptoms of pelvic pain and endometriosis to live functionally, high quality and meaningful lives".
It has been funded to service the entire south-eastern NSW region, and Dr Venables said it would rely heavily on modern advances on health services.
"All we can hope is that technology helps us with zoom, telehealth, so we can reach those women who need to be engaged with this service," she said.
The clinic is the sixth in NSW, and is one of 20 across Australia.
