'Appalling' gynaecology waiting times in NI under rapid review

Waiting times for gynaecology services in Northern Ireland are so bad that an independent and rapid review is taking place, BBC News NI has learned.

It is being conducted by the Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme which helps improve the quality of care within the NHS.

A GIRFT team spent a week this month visiting all five health and social care trusts.

In October 2022, 36,900 women in NI were on a gynaecology waiting list. A report from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said that figure was a 42% increase since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and that Northern Ireland had the longest gynaecological waiting lists in the UK.

While waiting lists show that some women are waiting about 110 weeks to see a consultant gynaecologist for the first time, consultants have told BBC News NI that the reality is women depending on their medical issue are waiting much longer.

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Source: 31 May 2023