Disclaimer: This article references women, but the issues addressed are applicable to people of all genders.

Over half a million patients in England are facing year-long waits to receive gynaecology treatment.

Waiting lists for gynaecology appointments have soared by 60% during the pandemic, leaving more than 570,000 people waiting a year for urgent care, a report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has revealed. No other medical department in the NHS has been burdened with prolonged waiting times on this scale.

Patients that should be considered high-priority have been forced to live with debilitating symptoms. Enduring needless chronic pain whilst being made to hang fire on diagnoses and treatment has had an acute impact on patients’ mental well-being and quality of life. In a survey of 837 women by the Royal College, 80% stated that their mental health has deteriorated during their wait for treatment, and 77% claimed that their condition has inhibited their ability to work and participate in day-to-day social activities.

A lot of gynaecological conditions get progressively worse and, when not addressed in sufficient time, require more invasive surgery. If detected and attended to sooner, higher risk procedures would not be necessary.

Other conditions, such as fibroids and endometriosis, can result in infertility if medical attention is significantly delayed or not received. A lot of women and people with uteruses require surgery before they can receive IVF, but some may be above the NHS age limit for fertility treatment by the time their operation goes ahead.

As waiting lists continue to grow, many struggle to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

44 year old Rachael, a mum of 2, told the RCOG that she is currently waiting for surgery for her prolapse, which she has been suffering with since 2019. When she first sought medical advice from a gynaecologist, she was referred to a pessary clinic. After receiving a number of pessaries, her symptoms persisted and she was put on a surgery waiting list. She has now been waiting for her operation for over two years. 

Rachael complains of chronic pain and exhaustion, which has prevented her from working, socialising, and exercising. She does not know when her life will return to normal -  whenever she asks hospital staff about the date of her surgery, she receives no clear answer. For now, it is just a waiting game. 

“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 now pressing the NHS to focus more attention on gynaecology, so that women's reproductive health care is prioritised the same as every other medical speciality. 

Although waiting lists have been exacerbated by COVID-19, gynaecology was dealing with a backlog of patients prior to the pandemic. The gynaecology operating list is generally the first to be cancelled, uncovering the grim reality that the continuous neglect of women’s health issues is rooted in gender bias. 

Medical professionals constantly perpetuate the assumption that when women experience pain, their complaints are emotionally or psychologically charged. 90% of people with endometriosis have reported that their symptoms have been dismissed and disbelieved by doctors. This often leads to a delay in diagnosis and appropriate treatment, leaving many women waiting years to find out what is happening inside their own bodies.

President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Dr Edward Morris said: “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.”

More needs to be done to address the gender health gap. We urgently need to see an overhaul in the way our health system views and prioritises reproductive health care, and this starts with listening to and believing women when they are seeking help.

It doesn’t have to be this way - at Find Others we firmly believe that when we come together, we have the power to achieve real, impactful change. Start a campaign or petition today using our free tools.

Unite, campaign, take action.