LCP data highlights that over 750,000 women in the UK are currently waiting for hospital gynaecology services

LCP Health Analytics has worked with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to develop a new data dashboard to shine a light on the true scale of the gynaecology care crisis across the UK. Over three quarters of a million (751,531) women and people in the UK are currently waiting for hospital gynaecology services.

Other key findings in the report are:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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.”

Dr Ranee Thakar, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, added:

“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.”