More than 760,000 women across the UK are on a waiting list for gynaecology appointments, a new report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has revealed.
The report titled ‘Waiting for a way forward: voices of women and healthcare professional at the centre of the gynaecology care crises,’ found that over three quarters of a million women were on the waiting list for months, despite a 33% increase in emergency admissions between 2021 and 2024.
Dr Ranee Thakar, president of the RCOG said: ‘A way forward is urgently needed to tackle the UK gynaecology crisis. Our new report shows too many women are waiting too long with serious conditions that can devastate their lives. NHS staff are also deeply concerned and distressed that they do not have the necessary resources to deliver good care, affecting their own wellbeing.’
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The RCOG surveyed over 2000 affected women and over 300 healthcare professionals to fully understand the impact of the care crisis.
About three quarters (76%) of women waiting for care reported worsening mental health and over two thirds (69%) reported being unable to take part in daily activities, including work. A majority of the primary (65%) and secondary care clinicians (69%) surveyed also reported that their health and wellbeing has been affected by managing rising pressures.
In her testimonial to the RCOG, Kerry Briggs, a woman in her early 50s from Manchester said that she had been on the waiting list for treating her fibroids since January 2023. ‘During this time, I’ve experienced severe bleeding, back pain, hip pain and had to manage challenging symptoms of anaemia as a result of my blood loss.
‘The anxiety I’ve felt whilst waiting has been all encompassing. I can’t book anything in advance and I feel completely stuck in the house. If you don’t have cancer, your condition is given less urgency and importance but there is no part of my life left untouched by this. It has to be taken more seriously,’ she said.
The RCOG has urged the the Government to provide immediate support for those on waiting lists and commit to long-term funding to tackle ‘systemic issues’ driving delays. Dr Thakar said this investment ‘will not only benefit thousands of individual women but the wider economy too, because the evidence shows that healthy women are the cornerstone of healthy societies. Get it right for women and everyone benefits’.
Responding to the report, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘Too many women are facing unacceptable waits for gynaecology treatment. This government is overhauling women’s healthcare and our 10 Year Health Plan, backed by a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending, will bring down waits in gynaecology so get women the support they need when they need it.’