Three quarters of a million women in UK waiting for gynaecology hospital care, new data dashboard reveals
Over three quarters of a million (751,531) women and people in the UK are currently waiting for hospital gynaecology services. 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 today revealed.
In England, nearly half (46%) of women and people are waiting over the NHS target of 18 weeks and around 5% (nearly 30,000) 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 today 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.
Women and people in England also face 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.
“Progress can also be achieved from the ground up, and we hope the College’s gynaecology membership - and women across England waiting for treatment - can also use these data to demand that local health leaders commit to a long term, sustainable investment and transformation of gynaecology services.”
Jane Plumb, the RCOG’s Women’s Voices Lead, said:
“Shockingly, over three-quarters of a million women and people across the UK are being left to grapple with serious, often progressive, gynaecological conditions, enduring months -sometimes years - of suffering. We’ve heard from thousands of women and people about this – the impact reaches every part of their lives. Some have even been forced to give up work due to the severity of their symptoms. Even worse, those in more deprived areas face the longest wait times, piling inequality upon inequality. It’s time to act on this urgent issue.”
Emily Sandie, 30 years old from near Edinburgh, comments:
“I was referred to see a gynaecologist in October 2021 but waited for 18 months before I received my diagnostic laparoscopy surgery in August 2023 to remove endometriosis tissue. My symptoms got significantly worse whilst I waited, leaving me bedbound for much of my cycle and unable to leave the house. I just wished it would stop and I wouldn’t be in pain anymore.
“Being on a waiting list for gynaecology care has impacted every single aspect of my life. I’ve had to take a lot of time away from work as a result of my symptoms and this has taken an enormous toll on my mental health. Taking time off work has also affected my financial situation and I worry that I will not be able to afford to maintain my house and pay for essentials like groceries.
I’m now back on another list waiting for a follow up surgeon appointment, it is nearly a year on from my surgery and I feel completely alone as I’ve struggled to make contact with my gynaecology team.”
Rebecca Sloan, Women’s health lead at LCP Health Analytics, commented:
“Granular data is crucial to be able to help policymakers target resources and addressing the increasing gynaecology waiting lists. Our new dashboard clearly shows the areas of the country where women are experiencing the longest waits for gynaecological issues. This data will allow policy makers to be able to understand who and where needs the most targeted help to ensure that more women can access vital gynaecological services more quickly and prevent further worsening inequalities.”
Tina Backhouse, General Manager at Theramex UK & Ireland said:
“All women deserve access to the healthcare treatment they need. This project is a necessary step in setting out further policy recommendations to address the variations in access to care for women across the nation - and we look forward to continuing to support RCOG in this mission.”
The new data dashboard will inform further work that the RCOG is conducting as a follow up to our Left for too Long report published in 2022. With funding from Theramex, the College is exploring challenges facing UK elective gynaecology services and identifying effective policies and initiatives to address waiting lists. Later this year, a full report will be published, including survey data from over 2000 women who are currently waiting for gynaecology care and over 200 clinicians working in elective gynaecology and urogynaecology services.
*In terms of monthly percentage growth.
- Link to the data dashboard here.
- To understand more about the data and methodology used to develop the dashboard visit this page.
- Read the 2022 Left for too long report here.
- For media enquiries please contact the RCOG press office on +44 (0)7740 175342 or email pressoffice@rcog.org.uk.