Gynaecology backlogs ‘astonishingly dangerous’ as waiting list exceeds 30,000

Figures show that 48% of women on the waiting list have been on it longer than six months, and over 27% have been waiting just over a year.

More than 30,000 women were on waiting lists for gynaecological appointments in Irish hospitals up to January 28 of this year, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has revealed. 

The figures were described as “beyond concerning” by Sinn Féin TD Sorca Clarke, who said the fact that 4,372 of these women have been waiting over 18 months for an appointment is “astonishingly dangerous”.

“At a time when we have the breastcheck backlog, the cervical smear test backlog and recruitment concerns, women need assurance that their health needs will be met," she said.

Ms Clarke, who obtained the figures from the minister, urged Stephen Donnelly "to recognise the urgency of intervention here and ensure he acts."

Cork University Maternity Hospital had one of the highest waiting lists for inpatient hospital gynaecological appointments, with 1,234 women awaiting an appointment. The average waiting time in CUMH last year was 331 days, nearly double the length of the wait two years’ previously.

The figures show that 48% of women on the waiting list have been on it longer than six months, and over 27% have been waiting just over a year.

Ireland has the third-highest fertility rate in the EU but less than half of the EU average number of specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology.

The HSE said it recognises the severity of the waiting lists and that the  Covid-19 pandemic has “further impacted” these lists.

In a statement released to the Irish Examiner, the HSE said prior to Covid, it and the Department of Health “had identified that a targeted programme of work was needed in this area so as to address the needs of women in this area of service delivery.” 

The HSE said the National Women and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP) devised a Model of Care for Ambulatory Gynaecology Service as the initial step in beginning to address demand in this area.

The ambulatory gynaecology services are described by the HSE as a “one-stop-see-and-treat model of care” for women, which commenced last year.

The HSE are “working closely” with the Women’s Health Taskforce in the Department of Health to tackle the issue.

While Ms Clarke acknowledges the pandemic has had an effect on gynaecological wait lists, she added that this is a “perfect storm brewing for a crisis in women’s health.” 

“A year without seeing a gynaecologist could be a year of living with an undetected problem as well as a year of serious anxiety for many. The HSE needs more resources and support to deal with the number of patients they have and the backlog present in gynaecological care, among pressures on staff and additional social distancing measures,” she said.

In response to the PQ about these figures, Minister Stephen Donnelly said that it is “recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures” have been impacted by the pandemic and by the deferral of elective scheduled care during several months in the past year.