Gynae waits 'letting down' local women

LONG waits for gynaecological appointments locally are "letting down women", Colin Smyth MSP has warned.

New data has showed some women in the area have been forced to wait years for key gynaecology appointments.

According to FOI data obtained by Scottish Labour, the average inpatient gynaecology wait in NHS Dumfries and Galloway more than tripled between 2019-20 and 2024-25, the second largest increase in Scotland.

Gynaecological waits cover women's reproductive health and include everything from the keyhole surgery needed to identify endometriosis to prolapsed wombs and complex contraception.

Commenting today, South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said: “Behind these shocking figures are women waiting in pain and anxiety for years at a time.

"The SNP government promised to improve women's health — instead it has let them down them with waiting lists soaring on its watch.

“No one should be forced to wait so long in pain – yet that is the grim reality for more than thousands of women in our region.

“Our health and care staff across Dumfries and Galloway are working tirelessly to deliver the best possible standard of care, but they simply cannot keep up as there just aren’t enough of them.

“These waiting times also have a knock on effect as those who are waiting are forced back to their GP again and again. Serious changes must be made.”