Royal Berkshire NHS Trust has paid out more than £560,000 in gynaecology medical negligence claims after women were left in ‘debilitating pain’.

Since 2019, the trust has faced 23 claims and incidents of medical negligence related to gynaecology care at its facilities, a new investigation has found.

The data, obtained by Medical Negligence Assist, reveals that the trust, which operates Royal Berkshire Hospital and Townlands Memorial Hospital, has settled 14 claims with damages totalling £566,273.

The findings coincide with a concerning report from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) highlighting a 'crisis' in gynaecology care.

The report points out that more than 760,000 women are on the waiting list for appointments, with many left in 'debilitating' pain for years.

Experts have called for additional funding to expedite treatment for these women.

The RCOG report states: "Gynaecology has historically been perceived as less important in wider elective recovery, and this has resulted in an increasing number of complex cases, disease progression, emergency admissions, and women living in pain and distress: all of which are preventable."

Medical Negligence Assist's investigation identified common primary injuries and causes of claims, including failure to act on abnormal test results, failed sterilisation, and intraoperative problems.

Across the NHS, 3,739 gynaecology medical negligence claims and incidents have been reported to NHS Resolution since 2019.

Of these, 1,337 claims were for 'unnecessary pain', and 740 were for 'additional or unnecessary operations'.

There were also 151 claims with 'cancer' listed as the primary injury, and 143 claims for 'bowel damage and/or dysfunction'.

The most common cause of claims was 'failure to warn - informed consent' regarding gynaecology treatment, with 1,324 claims and incidents across NHS Trusts in the last five years.

These involve cases where a patient was not fully informed of the details and/or risks of a procedure or treatment, or did not knowingly consent.

Since 2019, 292 such claims have been settled with damages payouts amounting to £17.3 million.

Claims for failure and delays in gynaecology-related diagnosis have cost the health service £32.6 million since 2019.

The RCOG report, titled ‘Waiting for a way forward: Voices of women and healthcare professionals at the centre of gynaecology care crisis’, found that 76 per cent of women on waiting lists said their mental health had worsened, while 69 per cent struggled with daily activities, including work.

Dr Ranee Thakar, President of the RCOG, said: "A way forward is urgently needed to tackle the UK gynaecology crisis.

"NHS staff are also deeply concerned and distressed that they do not have the necessary resources to deliver good care, affecting their own wellbeing.

"UK government must act now.

"The investment will not only benefit thousands of individual women but the wider economy too, because the evidence shows that healthy women are the cornerstone of healthy societies.

"Get it right for women and everyone benefits."