A Harrogate healthcare clinic is offering fresh hope to women battling suspected endometriosis, a debilitating condition that frequently leaves sufferers trapped in years of excruciating pain, uncertainty, and unanswered questions.
With UK women facing an average wait of nine years and four months for a formal diagnosis – rising to a staggering 11 years for those from ethnically diverse communities – Cocoon Healthcare has introduced EndoTest, a non-invasive, saliva-based diagnostic test that provides clear results in just 25 days without the need for keyhole surgery.
For thousands of women, endometriosis is far more than a “bad period.” Affecting approximately one in ten women, it occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other parts of the body, causing chronic pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, extreme exhaustion, and fertility issues. Too often, patients find themselves unable to work, socialise, or get out of bed, only to be repeatedly told their debilitating symptoms are just “part of being a woman.”
Cocoon Healthcare’s new route bypasses invasive surgical procedures. Patients attend a straightforward, welcoming appointment at the Harrogate clinic to give a simple saliva sample, which undergoes specialist analysis delivering a reported 97.5% accuracy rate.
To ensure women are supported well beyond receiving a diagnosis, the clinic has partnered with consultant gynaecologist and endometriosis specialist James Tibbott, who reviews findings directly and guides patients through their clinical next steps.
Priced at £1,100, around £100 cheaper than comparable private providers, the test offers an accessible private pathway for women who cannot endure another year of doubt.
The service marks another milestone for Cocoon Healthcare, which was founded in 2024 by Sam Naughton following her own harrowing experience with baby loss and pregnancy-related anxiety. Determined that no woman should ever feel dismissed or ignored by medical professionals, Sam established the clinic as a compassionate haven where women are listened to and taken seriously.
Sam Naughton, founder of Cocoon Healthcare, said: “Nine years is an extraordinary amount of time to spend wondering why you’re in pain. Just imagine everything that can happen in nine years, and then imagine spending that entire time worrying about your health, missing important moments, struggling through work or wondering whether you’ll ever get an answer. It’s heartbreaking that this is the reality for so many women.
“What makes it even worse is that women’s pain is still too often normalised. Nobody should be made to feel that debilitating periods or persistent pelvic pain are simply something they have to put up with. When a woman says something isn’t right, she deserves to be heard and taken seriously.
“That’s why we’re so pleased to be offering EndoTest at Cocoon. Being able to provide a saliva sample and receive results within 25 days gives women another way to investigate symptoms that may have been affecting them for years. Having a specialist involved in reviewing those results is also incredibly important to us, because women need proper clinical guidance, not just a piece of paper with a result on it.
“I created Cocoon because I know how frightening and isolating uncertainty about your reproductive health can feel. I wanted to build somewhere women would feel comfortable asking questions, discussing their concerns and knowing that somebody was genuinely listening.
“We can’t undo the years that women may already have spent in pain, but if we can help them take an informed step towards understanding what’s happening to their bodies, and make that experience feel a little less frightening and lonely, then that means a great deal.”
Appointments and further details on the EndoTest service can be booked directly at www.cocoon-hgt.com.
