Women are waiting “longer than ever” for gynaecology services across the UK, as waiting lists have increased by more than 60 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) have published a report outlining the impact of longer waiting times, warning that patients were “consistently deprioritised and overlooked”.
New data from the RCOG showed that gynaecology waiting lists have seen the biggest increase of all medical specialities, growing to a combined figure of more than 570,000 women.
The number of women waiting more than a year for care in England alone has increased from 66 before the pandemic to nearly 25,000.
The RCOG’s report highlighted women who are living with debilitating symptoms and the impact the prolonged waiting time has had on their mental health.
A survey of 837 women found that a large majority (80 per cent) said their mental health and symptoms have worsened due to the wait.
More than 75 per cent of respondents reported that their symptoms worsened. Members of the RCOG said they were seeing increasing numbers of people with more advanced endometriosis as a result of the longer waiting times for both initial appointments and for treatment.
Members also reported that heavy menstrual bleeding has “gone unmanaged” for longer due to the growing waiting lists, and this was leading to “unusually high rates of anaemia”.
The RCOG said some women have been admitted to hospital as emergency admissions requiring iron or blood transfusions.
Women with other issues have also been impacted, including those with ovarian cysts that have grown, leading to ruptured cysts or acute ovarian torsion, and progressive urogynaecological conditions resulting in higher numbers of women with worsening pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence.
According to the report, one member said of the situation: “The NHS is in dire straits, gynaecology is in even direr straits, and urogynaecology is in the worst state of them all.”
In addition, more than three quarters (77 per cent) of women said their ability to work or take part in social activities had been negatively impacted. Around two-thirds said they felt “despair” at the long waits, and 63 per cent reported feeling “ignored”.
One 44-year-old patient, Rachel, who lives in the north-west of England with her husband and two children, said she has been waiting for treatment for her prolapse and is also experiencing difficult symptoms from perimenopause.
She told the RCOG that she had an initial appointment with a gynaecologist for prolapse in 2019 and was referred to a pessary clinic and a women’s health physio.
However, despite having had multiple pessaries – a prosthetic device that is inserted into the vagina to support the internal structure in cases of urinary incontinence or prolapse – Rachel said her symptoms did not improve and she was put on the waiting list for surgery before the pandemic hit.
“I have been waiting ever since,” she said. “I have mixed messages each time I speak to a consultant or a member of staff at the hospital about when my surgery might be.”
Rachel continued: “I had to give up work last year because I just feel exhausted a lot of the time. I’m no longer interested in socialising unless I know I can sit down, or won’t be walking too far… I’m just trying to bring up two young kids and keep physically well, and it makes everything so much harder.
“I feel like my whole life is on pause.”
The RCOG is calling for changes to the way care is prioritised by the NHS and to focus funding on areas where waiting lists are the longest, which are in the north-west of England.
Dr Edward Morris, RCOG president, said: “As a consultant gynaecologist, I personally feel helpless speaking to women about the impact these waits are having on both their physical and mental health, and not being able to do anything to speed up their access to care.
“We believe the reason gynaecology waiting lists have seen the biggest growth is because time and again we see women’s health consistently deprioritised and overlooked.
“At its core it is gender bias and it’s reflective of society as a whole. Women are being let down and change is urgently needed.”
