Women’s health
Gynaecology data gaps see women’s health suffer
New analysis shows most NHS systems do not track outcomes, NICE adherence or pathways in gynaecology – despite more than 750,000 women waiting for care.
A report from the Medical Technology Group has warned that widespread failures to collect data and monitor best practice in gynaecology services are leaving women facing longer delays to diagnosis and treatment. Analysis of Freedom of Information (FOI)
responses from 42 Integrated Care Boards reveals that gynaecology remains one of the least monitored and least accountable areas of NHS care. Unlike better-resourced and planned specialties, most ICBs lack basic information on referral pathways, waiting times, diagnosis, treatment or outcomes for women’s health conditions. The findings come as part of the MTG’s Commission on NHS Culture, an investigation into how organisational culture across the NHS affects the adoption and spread of innovation and technology to improve the delivery of services. The report, A System that Learns: Embedding
Best Practice Across the NHS, looked at four clinicals areas: diagnostics, orthopaedics, gynaecology, and continence care to assess variation in the quality of services. It found that: In diagnostics, official data show that nearly a
quarter of patients in England waited six weeks or more for key diagnostic tests in August 2025, far above the standard of under 1%. While some areas have well-established Community Diagnostic Centres, many lack proper integration, outcome tracking, and consistent oversight. More than 750,000 women are currently
waiting for hospital gynaecology services in the UK. Most local health systems do not routinely track diagnoses, treatments, or outcomes, and
few monitor whether care meets NICE guidance, leaving leaders without a clear picture of need or performance. Waiting times for hip and knee replacements
in England remain around 50% longer than before the pandemic, with the UK falling behind comparable countries. Use of the National Joint Registry (NJR) is inconsistent in influencing commissioning decisions, and there is variation in rehabilitation pathways and referral criteria contributing to unequal access. An estimated 14 million people in England
have bladder problems and a further 6.5 million have bowel problems, yet continence services often lack basic data, audit, and oversight. FOI findings show minimal accountability and major gaps in understanding service quality.
Gynaecology The MTG points out that gynaecology continues to show some of the starkest variation in accountability, data collection, and system oversight across the NHS. As part of the report, the MTG used endometriosis as a core case
Our findings show that, in many parts of the NHS, system leaders simply do not have the data, governance or oversight needed to understand how key services are performing or how to improve them. This is particularly evident in gynaecology, where women’s health is suffering because of major gaps in
data collection and strategic planning across ICBs. Barbara Harpham, MTG.
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www.clinicalservicesjournal.com I June 2026
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