Women’s Care: A Postcode Lottery

Widespread failures to collect data and monitor best practice in gynaecology services are leaving women in England facing longer delays to diagnosis and treatment

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared in Digital Health

The Medical Technology Group’s (MTG) report, A System that Learns: Embedding Best Practice Across the NHS, published on 3rd March 2026, investigates how organisational culture across the NHS influences the adoption and spread of innovation and technology to improve service delivery. The report analyses freedom of information responses from 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) in England.

Its findings are part of the MTG’s broader Commission on NHS Culture, which examines the effect of culture on healthcare delivery and innovation. The research now highlights critical gaps in tracking diagnosis, patient outcomes and adherence to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, particularly in gynaecology.

The Scale of the Problem

Despite over 750,000 women waiting for care, most ICBs do not collect basic information on referral pathways, waiting times, diagnosis, treatment, or outcomes for women’s health conditions. The report compares gynaecology with other clinical areas such as diagnostics, orthopaedics and continence care, revealing stark differences in data monitoring. In diagnostics alone, nearly a quarter of patients in England waited six weeks or more for key tests in August 2025, far exceeding the NHS standard of under one percent. Experts warn that this lack of strategic planning and governance contributes to a postcode lottery, where women’s access to care and outcomes vary widely depending on location.

The Case for Sharing Best Practice

The MTG recommends the creation of a system for sharing best practice nationally. High-performing areas could be designated as ‘gold standard’ sites, providing models for other ICBs to emulate. Such an approach would encourage consistency in service delivery, reduce inequalities, and accelerate the adoption of effective, patient-centred innovations across the NHS. In the meantime, systematic implementation of best practice, including the use of digital tools to track patient outcomes and adherence to NICE guidance, is essential.

Women’s health in England is suffering from major gaps in data collection and strategic oversight, which delays diagnosis and treatment, however practice staff and teams can help push the gap closed. Practices that prioritise data collection, patient monitoring, and proactive care management can help bridge the gaps left by under-resourced or inconsistent ICB oversight, ensuring women receive timely, high-quality care.

Without these steps, women will continue to experience uneven access and variable quality of care across the country.