Caught in the System: Woman Navigates Six NHS Waiting Lists as Gynaecological Care Crisis Deepens in Wales

A 30-year-old Welsh woman struggling with endometriosis finds herself simultaneously on six different NHS waiting lists, with the constant pursuit of medical updates becoming an overwhelming burden on her mental health and daily life.

Amy-Jane Davies has spent 21 months waiting for a critical gynaecological procedure, only to face the prospect of being placed at the back of yet another queue for specialist surgery once that initial operation is completed. Her experience underscores a growing crisis in women's healthcare across Wales, where waiting times have become a defining electoral issue ahead of the Senedd election on 7 May.

A Condition That Changed Everything

Davies was first diagnosed with endometriosis in 2018—a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining develops in other parts of the body. The symptoms have proven debilitating: severe abdominal cramping, intense bloating, migraines, exhaustion, and complications affecting her bladder and bowel function.

The impact on her life has been profound. She has reduced her working hours and made the difficult decision not to pursue motherhood. "During Covid, the gynaecology waiting lists grew to eight to 10 years and at that point I knew there was just no way I could wait that long," she explained.

The Private Surgery Gamble

In 2021, Davies paid £4,000 from her own pocket—assisted by her mother and grandmother—to undergo private surgery. The procedure successfully removed endometriosis from her uterus, womb, and bladder. However, it also revealed the condition had spread to her bowel, requiring intervention from specialist colorectal surgeons.

Her health board referred her to one of Wales's two accredited endometriosis surgical centres, but only after she underwent a laparoscopy. That preliminary procedure has taken 21 months. Meanwhile, she has been referred to multiple specialists for her bowel, bladder, and migraines, while also awaiting ultrasound and MRI scans.

The Mental Toll

"You're constantly chasing them," Davies said. "It's taking over a bit, if I'm honest, and it's really no good for my mental health."

When asked whether she would return to private care, Davies outlined the financial impossibility of her situation. A procedure requiring simultaneous intervention from an endometriosis specialist, colorectal surgeon, and gynaecologist would cost no less than £15,000—an amount far beyond her means as a single homeowner who has already reduced her work hours due to her symptoms.

"It just feels really cruel that I could be putting myself into debt, when in a year or two all my symptoms could just come straight back," she said. "Because endometriosis has no cure—it is a condition that is not life-threatening but is aggressively life-altering."

A Widening Crisis

Davies is one of 43,120 people waiting for gynaecology treatment in Wales, part of a broader queue of 687,958 individuals awaiting some form of NHS treatment. The numbers peaked in August 2025 at 56,069, falling slightly to 43,120 in February—yet these figures have remained persistently elevated for five years, far exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

According to data from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, gynaecology ranks alongside trauma and orthopaedics as the specialty with the longest waiting lists in Wales when adjusted for population. Compared to other UK nations, Wales has the second-worst gynaecological waiting times, behind only Northern Ireland.

System Failures and Workforce Strain

Alison Wright, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, identified staffing burnout and restricted theatre access as critical factors. "We are still on a regular basis, unfortunately, having to have battles to have gynaecological theatres across the UK," she stated.

Wright emphasized the cascading effects of delays: "For women it affects their work, their lives—looking after children or dependents—and it means that their condition potentially gets worse. They may have blood transfusions or other treatments while they're waiting. So their conditions are not standing still while they're waiting and this is something that really, really concerns me."

While the NHS Wales women's health plan launched in 2024 was acknowledged as a positive step, Wright stressed the need for "proper investment" and "tangible plans that can be tracked."

Political Responses Ahead of Election

The Welsh government declined to comment on the issue before the election, though it previously claimed waiting lists had fallen for eight consecutive months.

However, Wales's political parties have made the crisis central to their electoral pitches:

• The Green Party described waiting times as "appalling" and pledged a comprehensive reform package, including increased investment in primary care to address health issues earlier and prevent escalation to hospital care.
• The Welsh Liberal Democrats proposed cutting waiting lists through a strengthened health workforce, expanded diagnostic capacity, and resolution of the social care crisis to free up hospital beds.
• Reform Wales blamed excessive NHS bureaucracy and called for a workforce plan that retains talented Welsh health professionals.
• Plaid Cymru committed to creating 10 surgical hubs across Wales specializing in treatments with the longest waits, designed in consultation with health experts.
• The Welsh Conservatives pledged to declare a health emergency, increase bed capacity, develop a workforce retention plan, and strengthen primary care access.
• Welsh Labour's manifesto includes surgical and diagnostic hubs, plus funding for new hospitals and facility repairs, though the party had not yet issued a formal statement.

As Davies waits, her case represents thousands of Welsh women whose health—and futures—hang in the balance of an overtaxed system.