When the BBC reported there were waiting lists for gynecological appointments across the UK had more than doubled Since February 2020, many women have shared their experiences of how they felt forced to turn to private care.

Women waiting in agony for vital gynecological treatment are turning to the private sector in the hope of being instantly sent to the top of the NHS waiting list.

The experiences of many people who spoke to the BBC echo what we are hearing from women working in the sector.

Heads of 11 major women’s health organizations have signed an open letter The public and health professionals are being urged to take part in their “Change the NHS” conversation.

She said: “Women and girls have repeatedly been left to ‘fall through the gap’ of fragmented government policy.”

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says discussions are ongoing around the government 10 year health plan It’s a chance to lobby for the “much needed” funding and system-wide support needed to make changes in women’s health.

An NHS spokesperson said: “Although the latest data shows that NHS staff are making progress in cutting waiting lists and tackling the backlog, we know that more needs to be done to reduce long waits for care. Much remains to be done, especially for women who are waiting for important appointments and treatments.

“We welcome feedback from the public and those working in women’s health services through Change NHS to further our work on improving services for women – including developing a network of women’s health champions in each local care system and expanding women’s health centers in the country – providing access to specialist women’s health teams in the community.”

Forty-year-old mum Claire had a hysterectomy – an operation in which the uterus is removed – 12 weeks ago.

Mother of a child needed surgery to get relief from her “infirmity” endometriosis And adenomyosis,

The surgery with a private consultant cost Claire more than £10,000 – she is on a three-year waiting list to see it through the NHS.

“It was a last resort, it was desperation,” she says.

Claire, a librarian, struggled to get anyone to take her pain seriously during her teenage years. She wasn’t diagnosed with severe endometriosis until she was 22.

The diagnosis gave hope to Claire, who had always been told her pain was related to irritable bowel. She recalls a doctor telling her mother: “I think it’s just IBS. Let him suck Polo mints.”

But the endometriosis diagnosis was just the beginning of the ongoing fight for prompt NHS care.

“These (gynecology) appointments are a lifeline for us,” she says. “We’re in a lot of pain but we know it’s OK because in a few months we’ll see this consultant or doctor, and then when they If they cancel, it’s heartbreaking.

“I was getting a good week out of every month and around that it was about managing the pain and its emotional effects.”

Now Claire, who also suffers from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a period-related condition that causes extreme distress, she will have to consider how much she should rely on expensive personal care while continuing her treatment.

“I know I’m in a privileged position to go private,” she says.

“The nurses were wonderful, all the aftercare was taken care of, they sent me to physio. But I now need to continue with the NHS because otherwise, where will the costs end?”

“I’m not the type to make a fuss,” says Pippa, a retired café owner.

She had been feeling “excruciating pain” in her stomach for months, but after three visits to her GP she repeatedly walked out with a prescription for antibiotics to treat a supposed infection.

But eventually a friend encouraged her to “bother” her GP for a scan.

As a result, Pippa was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery to remove an ovarian cyst weighing 8 pounds (3.6 kg), similar to the size of a brick. The surgical team had to replace their normal container with a bucket to hold it.

“It’s a little blurry because it was so painful,” she says.

She says her care with the NHS was “disappointing” and that her time spent recovering in hospital was cut short due to pressure on beds.

The impact of the cyst on Pippa’s limbs, as well as nerve damage in her leg, has left her with life-threatening pain, which she now has to deal with on a daily basis.

“Maybe if I had pushed for the scan earlier it would never have been so bad and I wouldn’t have found myself in this position.”

Amy was misdiagnosed as having irritable bowel syndrome until a procedure at the age of 26 revealed she was suffering from severe endometriosis.

After diagnosis, she received support within the NHS, including access to a pain-management clinic and an endometriosis specialist. But following the Covid pandemic, the support was “no longer there” as the NHS struggled to cope with demand for its services.

“We have spent £2,000 to see the same (gynecology) consultant privately,” says Amy, who has used private appointments to gain referrals to the NHS for surgery.

“My advisor has my best interests at heart.” Amy says she can’t treat him unless he gets to the top of the waiting list.

“Three years ago we lost our six-month-old baby girl (in pregnancy). I’m pretty sure it was due to complications from my endometriosis. I think there weren’t enough specialists who could look at our scans.”

Today, Amy’s endometriosis has progressed to the point where she requires a full hysterectomy and may need to have parts of her bowel removed.

“My consultant told me it takes two to three years to wait with the NHS, so if I can pay for it, I should. So that’s what I’m going to do.”

“This will be my seventh surgery but I’m still scared because I’m not sure I’ll be in a much better place after this. I have no other option.”

“I’ve lost a lot of my life to it. You just get used to not having energy and you can’t really do much. I feel like a 40-year-old in a 90-year-old’s body. “

Bethany regularly faced trouble at school due to her low attendance record, which was caused by menstrual pain which started when she was just 12 years old.

When she started her first job in retail, her coworkers thought she was “lazy” or “couldn’t be bothered,” but fatigue left her on her feet unable to complete a full day’s work.

“I would go and sleep in my car at lunch because I was so tired,” she says.

His passion for rock climbing, horseback riding and hiking gradually faded away and his daily life became limited by his pain.

At age 20, Bethenny was diagnosed with endometriosis and had to make a big decision.

“I was told a hysterectomy was my only option,” she says.

“My friends were leaving university and thinking about getting their first job and I was sitting there wondering, will I have kids? Do I need to freeze my eggs or start saving for IVF?”

“The doctor told me, either you don’t have any pain, or you have kids. Choose.”

On the advice of family, Bethany sought a second opinion within the NHS, but it took two years to get an appointment and a further 18 months for the second procedure.

“By this time I couldn’t move my legs,” she recalls.

Bethenny’s endometriosis had begun to affect her bowel and she was recommended to see a colorectal surgeon for further testing. Bethany is still waiting for a referral.

She is now seeking treatment through private health insurance.

“I cannot express in words how deep is the sorrow for the life that I could have had and that I should have had.”

He started having stomach pain in his first year of university at Saschan.

Saschen, a consultant in the wellness and healthcare industry, noticed that her weight was increasing rapidly, causing her so much pain that she missed lectures.

Originally, doctors suspected she had pelvic inflammatory disease as a result of having a contraceptive coil implanted, but further scans also revealed a cyst on her ovary.

While other students were attending social events, Saschen was trapped in the residence hall, unable to move. His friends would bring him food and sit with him to keep him company.

But she needed extra help to care for herself and was forced to suspend her studies for a year to return home to her family.

While waiting for her appointment, Saschen was in and out of A&E. At her worst she went there three times a week.

Eventually, she decided to pay to see a consultant who also worked privately in the NHS.

The consultant referred Saschan for surgery through the NHS and after swiftly completing her NHS appointment, drained five liters of fluid from the cyst and removed her ovaries and one of her fallopian tubes.

“I used a grant from my student finances to pay for that first private consultant appointment,” she says.

In total, Saschen has spent about £2,000 on private appointments.

“My mother told me, if we have to mortgage the house to afford the surgery, that’s what we have to do because you can’t put a price on your life.”

After four operations Saschen has received another diagnosis of endometriosis and has had fibroids and hiatus hernia treated while waiting for surgery on the NHS.

“I don’t think the menopause system recognizes that even though you can’t see your uterus or your ovaries, when you’re in a situation where you’re having them removed, it brings up a lot of things about you. How you feel about your identity and what you understand about your experience of womanhood.”