Almost half of gynaecology patients in England wait more than 18 weeks for treatment

According to NHS data collected by home blood test provider, Forth, the proportion of people waiting more than 18 weeks across England skyrocketed from 4.56% in 2013 to a worrying 47.23% in 2023.

Overall, the average increase of those waiting beyond 18 weeks for gynaecological treatment across England stands at 935% since 2013. Taking a closer look at wait times in the capital, NHS data from 2013 shows that approximately 94% of patients in London were seen within the 18-week target period during this year. As of 2023, this number had decreased to just 55%.

Attitudes towards health and medical appointments in the UK

In a bid to understand the impact of long waiting times and attitudes towards the NHS Forth analysed responses from 1,978 UK adults, alongside NHS England prescription data to gather feedback from 2.65 million NHS patients.

The survey results have found that as of 2024, 40% of women and nearly 35% of men in the UK have a health condition.

Despite this, 10% of women and 6% of men have yet to seek help from a medical professional about a health condition they believe they have.

Of patients who needed a medical appointment in the last year, more than half (51.4%) said they avoided making one. The most common reasons for this were finding it too difficult to make an appointment (28%), and worries about burdening the NHS (15%).

The survey also revealed that the average wait time to get a diagnosis for a medical condition in the UK is nearly 17 months. Almost half (46.5%) of people experiencing a health condition had to wait more than 6 months to be diagnosed, with 15% waiting for 3 years or more.

The Referral to Treatment (RTT) Standard

The 18-week target for NHS waiting times, also known as the “Referral to Treatment” (RTT) standard, was announced in 2004 to ensure that patients would need to wait no longer than 18 weeks from their initial referral to begin treatment.

In 2015 Jeremy Hunt, the former Health Secretary, announced that the targets for admitted and non-admitted patients would be eliminated to alleviate the administrative burden on hospitals. But, the overarching goal of treating 92% of patients within 18 weeks remained unchanged.

Despite this, the data reveals that many face delays beyond this timeframe, leading to potentially negative consequences for health and overall wellbeing.