NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde apologises over 10 month wait for vital gynaecology appointments
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has apologised to women facing prolonged waits for vital gynaecology appointments.
It comes after figures showed that the ongoing average wait for inpatient gynaecology appointments at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde(NHSGGC) clinics was 317 days – with one woman left waiting for an astonishing three and a half years.
Gynaecological waits cover women's reproductive health and include everything from the keyhole surgery needed to identify excruciating endometriosis to prolapsed wombs and complex contraception.
According to the figures, obtained by Scottish Labour under the Freedom of In formation Act, the average completed wait for gynaecology appointments at NHSGGC more than doubled between 2019-20 and 2024-25, with waits that typically lasted a month to six weeks now on average lasting two to three months.
The average ongoing waiting time for inpatient appointments is 317, with an average wait of 138 days for outpatient appointments.
The longest ongoing wait for an inpatient appointment is a whopping 1,274 days, with the longest wait for an outpatient appointment being 528 days.
The shock figures have led to Dumbarton's MSP, Dame Jackie Baillie, the Scottish Labour health spokesperson, to accuse the Scottish Government of 'betraying women'.
The health board this week said that it is 'facing pressure on many of its services' and apologised to patients who have been faced with extended waiting times for vital appointments.
A NHSGGC spokesperson said: 'We apologise to anyone who has faced longer waiting times than expected. We recognise the distress this can cause.
'We are prioritising patients based on clinical urgency to ensure those with the most serious conditions are seen as quickly as possible and are taking action to improve wait times.
'As part of our ongoing gynaecology waiting list recovery plan, we have already recruited additional doctors and are commissioning extra theatre sessions and outpatient clinics. These measures are designed to increase capacity and reduce waiting times. We have already seen positive results, and we expect to continue to see a steady improvement throughout 2025/26.
'We would also once again like to thank our staff who are working extremely hard to address these challenges with the utmost professionalism and commitment.'
Ms Baillie says that behind the 'shocking figures' are women 'waiting in pain and anxiety for years at a time'.
She added: 'I regularly hear from constituents affected by the SNP's failure to get waits under control.
'Behind these shocking figures are women waiting in pain and anxiety for years at a time.
'The SNP government promised to improve women's health — instead it has betrayed them by letting waiting lists soar on its watch.
'Scottish Labour will reduce waiting lists so that women's health is going in the right direction rather than being held back by the SNP.'
The Scottish Government's Minister for Public Health and Women's Health, Jenni Minto, vowed to take vital action to cut waiting times.
She said: 'I understand that it is upsetting and frustrating for women who face long waits in pain and discomfort for treatment and diagnosis. This government is focussed on taking the action needed to cut waiting lists.
'We have allocated over £8.8 million to Health Boards to target long waits for gynaecology and expect this to deliver significant improvements to the waiting list backlog in the coming year through waiting list initiatives and recruitment.
'As the first country in the UK to publish a Women's Health Plan we are working with NHS and other partners to improve health outcomes for women and girls. Timely access to gynaecology services must be addressed and gynaecology will be included as a priority in the next phase of the plan.'
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