Securing a face-to-face GP appointment has become a difficult task since the pandemic - and the new health secretary Therese Coffey has set out plans for patients to see a doctor within two weeks in a bid to relieve pressures. But throw in a condition you're perhaps unsure of or embarrassed about, and it feels like it's even harder.
New research shows an 18 per cent decrease in patients reporting abnormal gynaecological bleeding since before Covid, according to LPD electronic medical record data, and the trend is also seen with patients reporting pain, lumps, or irritation (including on the vulva, vagina and labia), with a 12 per cent decrease in patients reporting these symptoms since before the pandemic.
Meanwhile, one in four people have felt not listened to in a gynae health appointment, according to a YouGov survey by charity The Eve Appeal. This Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month, they're working in partnership with pharmaceutical company GSK with 'Be Gyane Aware' - a campaign which aims to raise awareness of gynaecological health to help people understand what is normal for them and to feel confident visiting their doctor for advice if they have any worries.
