Women report waiting longer for operations and appointments in pandemic

Women are being forced to wait longer for operations and healthcare appointments in the wake of the pandemic, according to a new report.

Research carried out by the Care Quality Commission, England’s regulator of health and social care, found 53% of women experienced longer waiting times for appointments or healthcare procedures during the Covid crisis.

The report also found 3 in 10 women experienced appointment cancellations.

More women report grappling with these issues than men – with some 44% of men saying they have experienced longer waiting times for appointments or procedures.

Helena Mckeown, a GP who previously specialised in women’s health at the British Medical Association (BMA), told The Independent she is not surprised by the findings.

"Our world is full of sexism and we know of other examples of sexism and biases in healthcare. Some of them are racial biases. To stop unconscious biases, they need to be recognised and addressed.

Ms Mckeown, one of the directors of the Menopause Expert Group, a non-profit which provides education about menopause, said female patients are treated differently to men.

She added: “We need to make sure we are not taking women saying they are in pain differently to men saying they are in pain. It is really important that we address this problem of women waiting longer for operations and appointments.”

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Source: The Independent, 22 January 2022