The government has been accused of “deprioritising women’s health” as analysis shows that almost 600,000 women in England are waiting for gynaecological treatment, an increase of a third over two years.
There are 33,000 women waiting more than a year for such treatment, an increase of 43%, according to Labour analysis of data from the House of Commons library.
It found that there is no region in England that meets the government’s target for cervical cancer screening of 80% coverage, with just over two-thirds of women (68.7%) having been screened in the past five and a half years.
Also, one in four women (26%) with suspected breast cancer waited more than a fortnight to see a specialist in the year to September 2023.
Under two-thirds (66.4%) of eligible women have been screened for breast cancer in the last three years, with just two English regions meeting the 70% coverage target.
The NHS target in England is that 92% of patients have a referral-to-treatment time of less than 18 weeks.
The figures come after the government pledged to end decades of gender-based health inequalities through a new women’s health strategy for England.
The analysis suggests that access to cervical cancer screening and gynaecological treatment is a “postcode lottery” in England.
In London, only three-fifths (61.3%) of eligible women have been screened for cervical cancer, while in the north-east of England almost three-quarters (72.5%) of women have.
Anneliese Dodds, the shadow women and equalities secretary, said: “The deprioritisation of women’s health by the Conservatives is nothing short of scandalous.
“Rishi Sunak and the Tories’ reckless failure with our NHS is exposing millions of women to pain, misery or even worse. They have let down all those women languishing on waiting lists, or nervously waiting weeks to see a cancer specialist.
“Labour will get the NHS back on its feet and fit for the future with the staff, technology, and reform it needs, and end the deprioritisation of women’s health once and for all.”
Beth Vincent, a health information manager for Cancer Research UK, said: “Thousands of cancer patients across England are facing unacceptable delays to begin cancer treatment every single month. Despite the best efforts of NHS staff, our health service simply does not have enough equipment or people to see, test and treat everyone in a timely manner.
“With a general election on the horizon, there’s an opportunity for all political parties to tackle these problems, by providing the NHS with more staff and equipment, alongside reform to cancer services. It’s the least that cancer patients deserve.”
She added: “Despite these challenges, it’s important to remember that GPs want to see women if they are concerned about something.
“If you notice something that’s not right for you, contact your doctor. It probably won’t be cancer, but if it is, spotting it at an early stage means that treatment is more likely to be successful.”
Bridget Little, the head of support services at Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said: “Two women are dying every day in the UK from a cancer that is largely preventable, yet the vast disparities in access to cervical screening, and the unmet coverage targets seen across the UK, are deeply concerning.
“We have an incredible opportunity to eliminate cervical cancer in the UK within a generation, but this will only be realised with effective strategies that recognise and rectify the widespread health inequalities across the UK.”
Maria Caulfield, the minister for women, said: “The government has made women’s health a top priority, and is driving forward a women’s health strategy that is delivering a better standard of care for women and girls, as well as taking action to improve awareness, support, and research into gynaecological conditions.
“In the strategy’s first year we achieved a huge amount, including new women’s health pages on the NHS website, investing £25m in women’s health hubs, improving access to hormone replacement therapy, and boosting research into women’s health.”
