Access to healthcare is vital; but recent data collected by home blood test provider Forth has revealed that thousands in England are encountering substantial delays in receiving essential treatments.
Analysing NHS referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times, the study reveals a dramatic increase in waiting times for gynaecological treatment across the country in the past decade.
According to the data, the proportion of people waiting more than 18 weeks across England skyrocketed from 4.56% in 2013 to a worrying 47.23% in 2023.
Overall, the average increase of those waiting beyond 18 weeks for gynaecological treatment across England stands at 935% since 2013. Taking a closer look at wait times in the capital, NHS data from 2013 shows that approximately 94% of patients in London were seen within the 18-week target period during this year. As of 2023, this number had decreased to just 55%.
The 18-week target for NHS waiting times, also known as the “Referral to Treatment” (RTT) standard, was announced in 2004 to ensure that patients would need to wait no longer than 18 weeks from their initial referral to begin treatment.
In 2015, Jeremy Hunt, the former Health Secretary, announced that the targets for admitted and non-admitted patients would be eliminated to alleviate the administrative burden on hospitals. But, the overarching goal of treating 92% of patients within 18 weeks remained unchanged.
Despite this, the data reveals that many are facing delays that go beyond this timeframe, leading to potentially negative consequences for health and overall wellbeing.
In a bid to understand the impact of long waiting times and attitudes towards the NHS, Forth analysed responses from 1,978 UK adults, alongside NHS England prescription data to gather feedback from 2.65 million NHS patients.
The survey results have found that, as of 2024, 40% of women and nearly 35% of men in the UK have a health condition.
Despite this, 10% of women and 6% of men have yet to seek help from a medical professional about a health condition they believe they have.
Of patients who needed a medical appointment in the last year, more than half (51.4%) said they avoided making one. The most common reasons for this were finding it too difficult to make an appointment (28%), and worries about burdening the NHS (15%).
The survey also revealed that the average wait time to get a diagnosis for a medical condition in the UK is nearly 17 months. Almost half (46.5%) of people experiencing a health condition had to wait more than 6 months to be diagnosed, with 15% waiting for 3 years or more.
Sarah Bolt, CEO and Founder of Forth, said: “Services within women’s health will require targeted funding to enable the NHS to expand its capacity and ensure timely access to specialist services. Without dedicated resources for these services, the impact will be limited concerning women’s healthcare. Additional steps must be taken to address pressing needs within the health sector; without targeted measures, the goal of reducing wait times within this area will remain out of reach.”
