If all the women currently waiting for NHS gynaecological appointments stood in a line, it would stretch from London to Exeter.

That’s according to new findings from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), with over 760,000 women across the UK yet to receive hospital gynaecological care. The RCOG’s report is truly eye-opening, highlighting the lack of priority given to women’s health, and the devastating impact on those enduring months and years without diagnoses or treatment.

I think it is fair to say that the healthcare system in this country is failing women on a monumental scale. In October, a report by the NHS Confederation revealed that the UK has the largest female health gap among G20 countries and the twelth largest globally.

Various factors have contributed to this dire situation. For one, there has long been a distinct lack of research into women’s health. Dr Ranee Thakar, president of the RCOG, pointed out that five times more research is conducted into erectile dysfunction, affecting 19% of men, than into premenstrual syndrome, affecting 90% of women. Including this statistic does not aim to undermine men’s health issues, but rather to highlight the striking inequality afflicting our healthcare system. And this inequality is destroying women’s lives.

Heavy periods. Excruciating pain. Debilitating nausea. Crushing exhaustion. Persistent dizziness. These are just a few of the symptoms that plague countless women across the UK, often on a daily basis. Conditions like endometriosis—where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside it—go undiagnosed for years, leaving women to suffer in silence. Hormonal imbalances, fibroids (non-cancerous growths in or around the uterus), and the challenges of menopause add to the burden. As Kristin Scott Thomas remarked in Fleabag: “Women are born with pain built in.”

However, this health crisis isn’t just about reproductive health. The RCOG found that 76% of women waiting for gynaecological care reported worsening mental health. Symptoms arising from undiagnosed and untreated conditions affect women’s ability to lead normal lives. Work? School? Social engagements? When you’re doubled up in pain, even leaving your bed feels impossible.

Some suggest the appalling waiting times for gynaecological care stem from the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused backlogs across the NHS. Yet between 2014 and 2024, the waiting list for gynaecological care—the only specialty solely treating women—rose by 223%, faster than the overall NHS waiting list, according to The Telegraph. This suggests the crisis in women’s health runs far deeper.

Historically, male bodies alone were deemed sufficient for understanding human health, which is laughable when we consider the complex yet under-researched health problems women face. It is essential that women receive the care they not only need but deserve after years of being ignored and underrepresented. The RCOG is calling on the government to provide urgent investment and support. Above all, I think it is time that we encourage open conversations about women’s health. Suffering in silence is no longer an option.