Over three quarters of a million women are currently waiting for hospital gynaecology services in the UK.
Since 2020, gynaecology waiting lists in England have grown faster than any other elective specialty and are now over double the size they were prior to the pandemic, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has revealed.
Nearly half (46%) are waiting over the NHS target of 18 weeks and around 5% over a year, with symptoms such as heavy periods, chronic pain and incontinence. This is resulting in increasing numbers of emergency admissions, as many who are on waiting lists attend A&E and access emergency care because their gynaecology conditions have worsened as they wait.
The RCOG is launching a new data dashboard, with LCP Health Analytics, to shine a light on the true scale of the gynaecology care crisis. The dashboard provides a powerful visualisation of the size, scale and nature of waits in gynaecology services across the UK. The College has produced this to help policy makers understand the challenge facing gynaecology services and clinicians and patients to understand what waiting lists look like in their area.
Patients are also facing an unacceptable ‘postcode lottery’ to access vital tests and treatments, with the average waiting times ranging from 10.4 weeks to 22.5 weeks. The most deprived Integrated Care Boards have the highest waiting lists (per 100,000 population), threatening to worsen already entrenched health inequalities.
The RCOG analysis found that every month more patients are referred in to gynaecology services than are seen and treated. This is driving a steady increase in waiting lists. Sustained investment into recovery and transformation of gynaecology services is needed to break this cycle, which is devastating so many women’s lives.
The RCOG is calling on the new Government to prioritise women’s health, and to set out clear plans to address the unequal growth of waiting lists in gynaecology services.
Dr. Ranee Thakar, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “Women’s health has long been deprioritised and under-funded but our new dashboard has, for the first time, revealed the true scale of the gynaecology care crisis.
"The women I see in my clinic are grappling with serious conditions like prolapse and incontinence. This has a devastating effect on their mental health, family life, and ability to work or even leave their house. Gynaecology and urogynaecology teams are doing their best but are simply unable to provide timely care.
“Data can be powerful in driving change and the College produced this dashboard to evidence the urgent need for action. If the new UK government wants to deliver their election pledges of prioritising women’s health and cutting waiting lists, then tackling gynaecology waits must be top of their list. We urge them to take action in their first 100 days in power to show they are serious about change."
