Endometriosis, menopause, and wait times – the women’s health crisis we can’t ignore

6 March 2025, 10:47

As we prepare to celebrate the lives and achievements of women around the world on International Women’s Day, let us not forget there is much work to be done to rectify the many gender disparities that sadly persist – and healthcare equality must be a priority.

I speak as a Consultant Gynaecologist specialising in urogynaecology. To the layperson, this means treatment and procedures that are mostly categorised as ‘non-emergency’ when it comes to the scheduling of National Health Service consultations and treatment.

We are talking about conditions such as bladder, bowel, sexual and pelvic floor disorders, including vaginal prolapse, urinary and faecal incontinence. Although non-emergency or non-urgent by classification, for affected individuals, there is likely to be considerable discomfort, pain, distress and mental health impact.

Access to timely gynaecological care in the UK has worsened dramatically in recent years, with the number of women on waiting lists for treatment having increased by 33 per cent since 2022, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG).

While waiting times in general for the UK population have lengthened, the spike in the numbers of women waiting longer is dramatic. The RCOG recently attempted to create a visual reference to quantify this, and to illustrate the scale, reported that Wembley Stadium could be filled eight times over with women waiting for gynaecological care in the UK.

Waiting times for treatment are however not the entire story when it comes to women’s health; we have seen delays in diagnosis – particularly in the assessment and treatment of endometriosis – and inadequate funding for conditions that only affect women, by comparison with those that impact the population as a whole.

Despite affecting all women who live into midlife, the menopause has historically been under-recognised and under-treated. There is not a formal ‘diagnosis’ needed for menopause, but late identification can lead to delays in help for those with severe symptoms, compounded by inconsistent training for GPs on the menopause.

Another alarming statistic relates to the dismissal of pelvic pain. An extensive survey of UK women with endometriosis last year found that 78 per cent had been told by at least one doctor that they were “making a fuss about nothing”. Endometriosis UK also found that the dismissal of legitimate pain is “unfortunately common” in women.

When we bring all this evidence together, along with data from multiple other sources over decades, a clear picture emerges: The gender disparity gap in UK healthcare is very real and deeply embedded but with hopeful signs that this is now recognised and we are turning corners.

More women are choosing to take greater personal control of their healthcare and are utilising impartial information resources that are empowering them to do so, such as Get Well Soon, a platform which tells people how they can access paid-for treatment with clarity on availability and pricing.

Whilst paying for treatment may not be a route open to everyone, data sources consistently show that more and more people are exploring these alternative options. The challenge, however, is how to do this, especially for those without private medical insurance cover. The process requires demystifying, and that is happening.

In addition, better and quicker diagnosis are areas where more work is being done to support all patients, particularly women – where late diagnosis for conditions such as endometriosis can lead to the need for emergency treatment as well as time off work and the ability to enjoy family life.

Research and innovation in healthcare is increasingly focussed on collaboration between the public, patients, providers, academic institutions and industry, including support through the UK Healthtech Research Centres (HRCs), which involves the Devices for Dignity (D4D) HRC project based in Sheffield. This has a specific Women’s Health Theme component, as well as linking with other long-term conditions.

There is clearly a long way to go, but we need to continue conversations that can identify actions needed to deliver impactful changes as we strive for healthcare equality, not only in the UK but for women around the world.

Awareness is the first step towards change, and by highlighting disparities in healthcare and other areas of society through the International Women’s Day, we can continue to progress towards a more equitable future.

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Professor Stephen Radley is a Consultant Urogynaecologist at Get Well Soon.

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