Dr Ranee Thakar
President, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The number of women in the UK currently waiting for hospital gynaecology services would fill Wembley Stadium eight times over.
Many women are waiting for months and even years with serious conditions that have a devastating impact on almost every aspect of their lives, including their physical and mental health and their ability to work and socialise. Gynaecological conditions like endometriosis and fibroids are progressive and can become more complex to treat over time, meaning the longer women are waiting, the worse their condition becomes.
Investment in women’s health boosts economy
Waiting lists for gynaecology have grown faster than any other specialty since the pandemic and the reasons behind the lists are complex and multi-faceted. It is particularly concerning to see that often, the most deprived areas in the UK face the longest waiting lists. This risks further compounding health inequalities between the most deprived and least deprived groups in our society.
If we get it right for women,
everyone can benefit.
The case for economic investment in Women’s Healthcare is fundamentally clear; a recent NHS Confederation report found that for every additional £1 of public investment in obstetrics and gynaecology services per woman in England, there is an estimated return on investment of £11. This provides evidence that tackling the gynaecology care crisis will benefit not only thousands of individual women but also the wider economy. If we get it right for women, everyone can benefit.
Improving women’s health services
While it is encouraging to see the Government commit to improving waiting times through action like the new elective recovery plan, we hope to see much-needed further commitments to improving women’s health set out in an updated Women’s Health Strategy and within the NHS 10-Year Plan this year.
The RCOG also firmly believes that implementing the Women’s Health Hub model is a crucial part of elective recovery and improving women’s healthcare. The hubs will better integrate all women’s health services and ensure women can see specialists at the right time, in the right place — with their symptoms recognised and managed quickly.
