THE number of women waiting for a gynaecology appointment in South Yorkshire has more than doubled following the coronavirus pandemic, new figures show.
In South Yorkshire, the waiting list was 2,218 patients per 100,000 people this year.
This has more than doubled over the last five years, with 822 per 100,000 waiting in 2019.
Across England, the waiting list has more than doubled following the pandemic, from 990 per 100,000 people in September 2019, to 2,105 per 100,000 this year.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said while GPs play a key role in managing patients’ conditions, the amount they can do is limited.
“Women’s health - including gynaecology - is a key part of the RCGP curriculum,” she said.
“There is a lot of support we can and do offer but in many cases, the most appropriate course of action is to refer to specialist care and services - however access is patchy and waiting lists are far too long.
“Cutting waiting lists will benefit everyone across the NHS, particularly outpatients, and we need to see everything being done to make this possible.”
