Women are suffering ‘for years’ as more than 750,000 people are stuck on NHS waiting lists for gynaecology services, figures show

More than 750,000 women are on the NHS waiting list for gynaecological care, with some suffering for years due to delays, a study has found.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is calling for ‘urgent action’ to tackle the backlog, which has doubled since the pandemic began.

The analysis shows that waiting lists for gynaecology in England have grown faster than for any other speciality since 2000, with more patients being referred each month than being seen and treated.

The college claims that women’s health has “long been an undervalued and underfunded priority” and warns that the delays this has caused have led to some women becoming so unwell while waiting for care that they have been rushed to hospital.

The physical and mental impact of conditions such as prolapse and incontinence can be so devastating that women are forced to stop working while they wait, while others are unable to even leave their homes, the RCOG said.

The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health wrote to Health Minister Wes Streeting urging him to prioritise sexual and reproductive health ‘as a matter of urgency’

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is calling for ‘urgent action’ to tackle the backlog, which has doubled since the pandemic

In England alone, the waiting list for gynaecological care currently stands at almost 600,000.

About half (46 percent) waited longer than the 18-week target in April this year, and one in twenty (5 percent) had waited more than a year, which equates to 29,660.

Meanwhile, there were almost 143,000 emergency admissions to gynecology in March 2021, rising to almost 170,000 in March 2023 – the most recent figures available.

RCOG has developed a new data dashboard showing the percentage of long waiting times in the UK. This dashboard has been published in partnership with LCP Health Analytics.

This is based on NHS data and indicates that the current waiting list for gynaecological services in the UK is 751,531.

It also shows a ‘postcode lottery’ of care, with some patients having to wait weeks longer on average than others in neighbouring regions.

Jane Plumb, Head of Women’s Voices at RCOG, said: ‘Shockingly, more than three quarters of a million women and people in the UK are living with serious, often progressive, gynaecological conditions, which can leave them suffering for months, sometimes years.

‘We’ve heard from thousands of women and people about this, and the impact it has has had on their entire lives.

‘Some have even been forced to stop working due to the severity of their symptoms.

‘Worse still, those in more deprived areas face the longest wait times, adding inequality to inequality. It is time to take action on this urgent problem.’

Dr Ranee Thakar, Chair of RCOG, said: ‘Women’s health has long been undervalued and underfunded, but our new dashboard has revealed for the first time the true scale of the crisis in gynaecological care.

‘The women I see in my clinic suffer from serious conditions such as prolapse and incontinence.

“This has a devastating effect on their mental health, family life and their ability to work or even leave their home.”

She added: ‘If the new UK government is to deliver on its election promises to prioritise women’s health and reduce waiting lists, then tackling waiting times in gynaecology must be at the top of its list.

“We urge them to take action in their first 100 days in power to show they are serious about change.”

This comes after the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health wrote a letter to Health Minister Wes Streeting urging him to prioritise sexual and reproductive health ‘as a matter of urgency’.

The letter, written by faculty chair Dr Janet Barter and signed by more than 800 clinicians, highlights ‘the shocking health inequalities currently faced by women and girls in the UK’.

It says that ‘too many people do not have access to the essential services they need’.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘It is unacceptable that so many women are not getting the gynaecological care they need, when they need it.

‘This government is determined to change that and is prioritising women’s health.

‘We have launched an inquiry into the NHS, led by Professor Lord Darzi, to assess the scale of the problems facing the health service in the country. This is the first step towards recovery for the NHS.’