Dr Jasmine Hearn cited in Early Day Motion in Parliament in call to action on Endometriosis.

We are delighted to announce that Dr. Jasmine Hearn, a researcher supported by MetroPolis, has successfully had her research cited in an Early Day Motion (EDM) in Parliament. At the time of writing, 17 MPs are backing her recommendations on how women suffering from endometriosis should be supported by employers, cared for within the medical profession, and understood more broadly across society.

Endometriosis is a painful condition affecting 1 in 10 women, or around 1.5 million individuals in the UK—approximately the same number who suffer from diabetes. The condition can cause debilitating, chronic pain and, in some cases, infertility. On average, it takes over eight years to receive a diagnosis in the UK. In investigating why it takes so long for women to be diagnosed, Jasmine’s research revealed that delays were often caused by doctors and nurses not believing patients, dismissing their concerns as “women’s issues,” and assuming they were exaggerating. In her research recommendations and policy brief, Jasmine advises that better support is needed from both the medical profession and employers. Specifically, her policy brief suggests amending the Employment Rights Bill 2024 to require employers to make reasonable adjustments to help employees suffering from endometriosis manage their pain at work.

Jasmine first approached MetroPolis after attending one of our training sessions, delivered by former MP and Manchester Met alumnus Huw Edwards. Huw’s session provided detailed advice and practical guidance on how researchers can engage with Parliament to influence policy. Jasmine sought further support to amplify her policy recommendations on endometriosis, and MetroPolis funded a consultation with Huw Edwards and the creation of a policy brief for circulation among MPs.

Jasmine Hearn commented:

It’s been a brilliant experience learning about the many routes that you can take to engage with policymakers/stakeholders, and to influence policy. Engaging with policymakers can seem quite difficult, but there are lots of small steps that can help make research more accessible for policymakers, and therefore more likely to use and discuss your research in parliament. I’m delighted that our research is being used in parliament to highlight issues surrounding endometriosis, and will be working closely with MPs and their research managers to support debates on this in future. If you’d like to engage with parliament, I’d highly recommend workshops offered by MetroPolis, learning as much as possible about how parliament operates, and reaching out to MPs who have discussed issues relevant to your research before.

Jasmine isn’t the first researcher we have supported in this manner. Earlier in the year, Dr Lucy Montague’s research on Britain’s high-streets was acclaimed in the House of Lords, and was appointed special adviser to the Built Environment Select Committee. We are keen to continue to build on these successes and to support more researchers achieve the kind of impact that Dr Jasmine Hearn and Dr Lucy Montague have achieved.