The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has responded to the appointment of Yvette Cooper as the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The College has welcomed her early commitment to prioritise maternity care, while urging her to make wider women's health a sustained funding and delivery priority.
The scale of the challenge:
- Over 570,000 women in England are currently waiting for essential gynaecology care – this has over doubled since March 2020
- Numerous high-profile maternity investigations over the last decade have identified consistent, systemic issues, resulting in over 740 recommendations and actions - many still not fully implemented
- Absenteeism linked to conditions such as severe period pain, endometriosis and fibroids costs the English economy nearly £11 billion a year
- 19% of O&G doctors say they are considering leaving the profession, citing burnout and unmanageable workloads
Dr Alison Wright, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said:
"We are delighted to welcome Yvette Cooper as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and her early commitment to urgently improving maternity services. This priority cannot come soon enough.
"Too many women and babies have died, been harmed or been traumatised by systemic failures in maternity and neonatal care. Our services are straining under huge demand, with staffing gaps, too little time for training, and inadequate theatres and equipment. It is therefore extremely reassuring to hear the new Health Secretary name this as a priority from day one.
"It is crucial that Yvette Cooper also prioritises women's health across the life course. Well over half a million women are waiting for essential gynaecology care in England and the latest data shows this is getting worse, not better.
"The new Secretary of State now has the opportunity to direct the system to act on the health of half the population, and the safety of every baby born in England."
The College is calling on the new Health Secretary to put women's health at the centre of their plans as a matter of urgency by prioritising:
- Funding safer maternity care - Ring-fenced, sustained funding and safe staffing levels to build maternity services that women and families can trust, and staff can be proud to work in.
- Delivering the Women's Health Strategy in full - Clear, funded implementation plans for the commitments made in the renewed strategy.
- Tackling gynaecology waiting times - Long-term investment in workforce, training and facilities, so that the 570,000 women currently waiting are not left behind - with explicit plans to embed women's health into neighbourhood health services.
The College looks forward to working very closely with Yvette Cooper to deliver the change that women, families and the system urgently need - and to make this the turning point towards positive change.
- The latest data for the elective gynaecology waiting lists is available here: RCOG Waiting times
- The NHS Alliance report into Women's health economics: investing in the 51 per cent found the economic cost of absenteeism due to severe period pain and heavy periods alongside endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts is estimated to be nearly £11 billion per annum. Report available here: Womens health economics investing in the 51 per cent
- The RCOG’s Workforce Census 2025 found that 19% of O&G doctors say they are considering leaving the profession. Available here: Workforce Census 2025 | RCOG
- The RCOG response to the announcement of the National Maternity and Neonatal review is here: Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announces action on maternity care at RCOG World Congress today | RCOG
- The RCOG’s response to the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation is here: RCOG responds to the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation | RCOG
- The RCOG’s position statement on Maternity Safety is here: 2026-02-maternity-safety-position-statement.pdf
- The RCOG’s response to the renewed Women’s Health Strategy is here: RCOG welcomes renewed Women's Health Strategy but calls for investment and delivery to match ambition | RCOG