Women in UK with polycystic ovarian syndrome facing widespread failures in treatment, report finds | Women’s health
Women living with polycystic ovarian syndrome (SOPK) face prolonged delays in diagnosis and limited access to treatment, according to a report by a parliamentary group.
More than a third of women with the disease had to wait more than four years for a diagnosis of SOPK, according to the report, and after the diagnosis of nearly two fifths (38%) of respondents received no resources.
The SOPK is a common condition that affects about one woman in eight of childbearing age in the United Kingdom. The main characteristics of the condition include irregular periods; excess of hormonal androgen, which is linked to the excess of facial or body hair; And polycystic ovaries, which are when the ovaries are enlarged and contain many bags filled with liquid.
Published by the Multipartite Parliamentary Group on the SOPK, the report includes oral evidence sessions, a survey of more than 2,000 patients on their experiences, as well as requests for freedom of information to the 42 integrated care councils (ICB) in England.
The survey also revealed that only 3% of patients with the disease have felt supported by health care providers, with almost a third (28%) feeling rejected or not taken seriously.
“The sopk affects one woman in eight and those who have been assigned to birth, but for too long, she was sidelined in politics, neglected in funding and misunderstood in practice,” said Michelle Welsh, Labor MP for Sherwood Forest and president of the APPG on the SOPK. “This report defines a clear and urgent case for the reform. If we want to seriously improve the health of women, we must act now to break the cycle,” she said.
The struck inequalities have also been highlighted by the report, women from black and Asian environments being up to 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease, and those from ethnic environments more likely to have more serious symptoms such as resistance to insulin.
Dr. Itunu Johnson-Sogbetun, general practitioner and founder of the special interest group of women of the Royal College of GPS, said that the report reflected: “What many of us with Sopk already know by lived experience: care is fragmented, diagnosis is delayed and long-term risks are too often ignored.”
She said: “SOPK is a multi -system condition, but the NHS often treats it closely as a fertility or a gynecological problem. The report rightly puts the lottery of the postal care code, the lack of national ways and the lack of coordinated support for metabolic, cardiovascular and psychological complications that accompany the PCO.”
The study also stressed that the absence of primary care guides for the SOPK had created a postal code lottery for patients, with variations in care between the United Kingdom regions. And therefore, the diagnosis often depends on the individual judgment of clinicians, which can lead to incoherent and uncertain care.
Rachel Morman, president of the SPPK Verity’s charitable organization, said: “Although this survey concerns the SOPK, it is really a barometer for the way we appreciate and prioritize the health of women throughout the system.
For a condition affecting millions through the United Kingdom, with a significant cost burden for the NHS when not proactively managed in integrated care establishments, this level of negligence is unacceptable. We welcome the report and its recommendations, and we are ready to work with the government to make the change that is so urgent. »»
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Social Care said: “Women with gynecological conditions, including polycystic ovary syndrome (SOPK), have failed for too long.
“This is why we transform the commitments of the health strategy of women in tangible action, already offering 4.9 million additional meetings, by attacking the gynecology waiting lists by using the private sector, improving the training of doctors on women’s health and updating advice to improve the processing and management of SOPK.”
