Uterine fibroids are progressive, severe and life-limiting for thousands of women. While they are among the most common benign gynaecological conditions, their unpredictability of growth and symptom progression can significantly compromise quality of life.
Yet because these tumours are categorised as benign, the urgency they demand is frequently diminished. Women are advised to “manage” or “wait,” until their symptoms escalate to crisis, contributing to emergency admissions, blood transfusions, and life-altering hysterectomy — outcomes which may have been avoidable with earlier diagnosis and management.
The impact of fibroids is consistently underestimated and under-prioritised. Early diagnosis remains rare, with thousands enduring debilitating disease for years before receiving help resulting in greater intervention, a higher risk of complications and significant system costs.
This report provides a clear, actionable roadmap to transform fibroid care from reactive crisis-driven care to prevention-focused, personalised, and equitable support that ensures every woman’s’ symptoms are recognised and managed with dignity and clinical excellence. It proposes:
- national early recognition and risk-based identification in primary care
- direct access to community ultrasound
- standardised pathways
- regional specialist networks for complex case
- new data systems to monitor outcomes and inequalities.