Lived experience opportunity | Feed into RCOG’s policy project on elective recovery of gynaecology services

Following on from its 2022 report Left For Too Long on the size, scale and impact of waiting lists in elective gynaecology across the UK, the RCOG has continued to call for action to address the unequal growth of waiting lists in the specialty. 

Following on from its 2022 report Left for too Long on the size, scale and impact of waiting lists in elective gynaecology across the UK, the RCOG has continued to call for action to address the unequal growth of waiting lists in the specialty. 

Two years on, we want to hear again from women and people who are currently on, or who have recently been on, a waiting list for a gynaecology service. This could mean you are waiting for your first appointment following a referral from a GP, waiting for tests, or waiting for treatment or surgery. 

It is vital that this project hears from those with lived experience of waiting for gynaecology care, so we can understand the true impact of waiting longer for care and treatment, and build solutions to addressing waiting lists that work for everyone. 

This project is looking at hospital waiting lists for suspected or diagnosed gynaecological conditions that aren’t cancer. The NHS has a very different approach to managing waiting times for cancer care, and we want to explore the experiences and outcomes of women who are on a waiting list for services often called elective (planned). There are a whole range of symptoms and conditions that might come under elective gynaecology – but some examples are care for symptoms like heavy or painful periods, pelvic or abdominal pain, incontinence or vulval pain, and conditions such as endometriosis, PCOS, prolapse or fibroids. 

Survey 

If you are currently, or have recently been on, a waiting list for hospital gynaecology services, we encourage you to share your experiences via our online survey.

We would also strongly encourage clinicians to share this survey through their networks and encourage patients to respond. A poster for clinical settings can be downloaded below and placed in waiting rooms and clinics. 

Focus groups

Focus groups will allow us to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of waiting longer for care and treatment, and help us to ensure that any solutions to addressing waiting lists are informed by the voices of those who are accessing services. 

The RCOG will be hosting a series of focus groups in May and June. They will be a mix of virtual and in person, and participants will be paid for their time. Focus groups will last up to two hours. 

The window to submit an expression of interest to take part in a focus group has now closed. If you submitted an expression of interest, we will be in touch as soon as we can to let you know whether you are able to take part.

Should you have any additional enquiries, please email GynaecologyProject@rcog.org.uk.