Today the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) released a report on women’s reproductive health conditions, which found that despite such conditions being highly prevalent in the UK, accessing diagnosis and treatment can take years - leaving women and girls to endure pain and discomfort that interferes with every aspect of their daily lives.
Responding to the WEC report, RCOG President Dr Ranee Thakar said:
“This report paints a sad, but unsurprising, picture of the reality facing women with reproductive health issues in this country. It also comes at a time when the NHS is once again facing the tension of seasonal pressures being prioritised at the expense of waiting lists and wider stability.
“The report’s conclusions reflect our own Waiting for a way forward report showing the true scale of the UK’s gynaecology care crisis, with over three quarters of a million women and people currently on the gynaecology waitlist.
“As the Committee report recommendations, it is imperative that stigma around gynaecology is addressed. Gynaecology waiting lists are the fastest growing of any speciality and, while we welcomed the Government’s recent commitment to achieving 18 weeks from referral to treatment, we need to see gynaecology specifically prioritised to see real change for women.
“As we highlighted in our response to the NHS 10-year-plan consultation, we must see movement on, and funding for, the Women’s Health Strategy implementation and the expansion of the Women’s Health Hub model - to provide women with comprehensive and joined up healthcare throughout their lives.
“This report reiterates that increasing funding gynaecology care provides a significant return on investment. Investment in women is investment in wider society, and we implore the Government to meet their manifesto commitment to prioritise women’s health policies and funding to deliver real change.”