'We've suffered long enough' - West Midlands women take a stand against rising NHS wait times for endometriosis diagnosis

The report states that over three quarters of a million (763,694) women and people currently waiting for months and years with serious gynaecological conditions and that more women are also now requiring emergency care to manage severe symptoms, with gynaecology emergency admissions in England increasing by a third (33%) between 2021 and 2024.

RCOG described gynae-healthcare as "being in crisis", noting that 76% of women reported worsening mental health as a result and 69% reporting being unable to take part in daily activities including work. 

Neelam Heera-Shergill, the founder of Cysters, has been open about her own struggles with gynaecological conditions for years – which she has found debilitating at times. Now, she has declared enough is enough and has demanded improvements for the people supported by her organisation by the time another report is commissioned. 

Speaking to the Express & Star, she said: "The new government need to recognise that this is a historical issue - waiting times have been excessively long since before the pandemic and it's getting worse. I have no doubt that the pandemic had some impact on it but it is not the sole cause of these ever-widening delays and these disparities are worse for those with disabilities or from ethnic minority backgrounds. 

"The longer healthcare for these conditions are delayed, the greater the expense for emergency healthcare. The NHS would be financially better off in the long run by getting people treated before it becomes an emergency – but this change needs to happen now.

"I don't want to see another report like this. We've suffered long enough. In two years, I want to see a report that shows these wait times getting shorter. I want to see improvements in the care and quality of life for those struggling with endometriosis."

Birmingham City University’s (BCU) Professor of Medical and Feminist Anthropology Annalise Weckesser has also urged the government to “prioritise” women’s health.

Professor Weckesser said: "Unfortunately, these figures are unsurprising. The growing waiting list for gynaecology services has not been sufficiently prioritised. Other specialist services have seen progress in wait times, but gynaecology hasn’t. This evidences that the needs of those who use gynaecology services are not being taken seriously by the Government. 

“A recent report from Endometriosis UK showed that, despite more awareness about endometriosis, diagnosis times are increasing rather than decreasing. The UK government needs to finally prioritise women’s health, not through empty promises and toothless policies, but through real political will, long-term action, and funding.

“We now have mountains of evidence on the devastating impact these wait times have on people’s mental health and their ability to function day-to-day. The RCOG, Endometriosis UK, and In-Kind Direct all have conducted recent surveys on how these delays are severely impacting the mental health and day-to-day work, social and family lives of women and people waiting for gynaecological care. 

“We do not need yet more evidence of suffering, we need urgent action from the Government.”

In response to the report, the Department of Health and Social Care described the delays as "unacceptable" and detailed the Labour governments plan for change.  A spokesperson said: “Too many women are facing unacceptable waits for gynaecology treatment.

“This government is overhauling women's healthcare and our 10 Year Health Plan, backed by a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending, will bring down waits in gynaecology so women get the support they need when they need it.”

Dr Sue Mann, NHS National Clinical Director for Women’s Health, said: “While NHS staff are working hard to see more patients and bring down long waits, we know some women are waiting too long for crucial gynaecology appointments and treatment, and we still hear of women who have had their symptoms dismissed.

“Some of these conditions can be managed very well by specialist healthcare teams in the community, which is why we’re expanding neighbourhood women’s health hubs in every local care system across the country to help those women who do not need to be in a hospital to receive more timely care – and already thousands of women have received vital care from these hubs.”