In our recent article, “Gender Bias in Healthcare and the Impact of Delayed Diagnosis on Women’s Health”, we explored how delays and failures in diagnosing women’s gynaecological conditions can seriously affect mental health.
We highlighted the experiences of Naga Munchetty and Vicky Pattison, both of whom faced significant barriers when seeking diagnosis and treatment for gynaecological and reproductive health conditions. Their stories reflect a wider issue that many women encounter when healthcare professionals fail to recognise or properly investigate symptoms.
In this article, we look more closely at what can go wrong when diagnosing gynaecological conditions and what steps you can take if your condition has been poorly diagnosed.
Healthcare professionals can mishandle the diagnosis of gynaecological conditions in several ways. The most common issues fall into three categories.
A delayed diagnosis occurs when doctors eventually identify the correct condition but take longer than they should. During this time, symptoms can worsen and treatment opportunities may be missed, leading to poorer outcomes.
Failure to diagnose happens when doctors do not reach any diagnosis at all. This often occurs when a patient reports symptoms but does not receive a full assessment or appropriate follow-up investigations.
A misdiagnosis occurs when doctors diagnose the wrong condition. As a result, patients may receive inappropriate treatment while the underlying condition remains untreated.
Poor diagnosis of gynaecological conditions may arise for several reasons, including:
In many cases, a full medical assessment is not carried out when patients present to their GP or hospital consultant. As a result, symptoms are not properly explored.
All too often, severe gynaecological pain is dismissed as “normal” or something patients are expected to live with. This was the experience of Tracey, who was diagnosed with adenomyosis at the age of 56. In March 2023, she told i News:
Any patient presenting with significant gynaecological pain should be referred promptly to a specialist with the expertise to provide an accurate and timely diagnosis.
Certain gynaecological conditions regularly go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed due to overlapping or vague symptoms.
Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. Symptoms vary widely and often resemble those of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome or pelvic inflammatory disease, leading to frequent diagnostic delays.
PCOS is a hormonal disorder that causes irregular periods, acne, and excess hair growth. Because these symptoms overlap with other hormonal conditions, doctors often misdiagnose or delay diagnosis.
PID affects the female reproductive organs and often develops from untreated infections. Its symptoms mimic other gynaecological conditions, and delays in diagnosis can cause serious complications.
Uterine fibroids can cause heavy menstrual bleeding and pelvic pain. Doctors sometimes attribute these symptoms to other gynaecological issues rather than investigating fibroids.
Ovarian cancer symptoms, including bloating and abdominal pain, often appear vague or non-specific. This lack of clear early symptoms frequently leads to delayed diagnosis.
Adenomyosis develops when endometrial tissue grows into the muscular wall of the uterus. Women often experience heavy, painful periods and pelvic pain. Because symptoms overlap with other conditions, clinicians can struggle to diagnose adenomyosis promptly.
When assessing a potential gynaecological medical negligence claim, solicitors apply two key legal tests.
The Bolam test considers whether a responsible body of medical professionals would have acted in the same way in similar circumstances. If not, the clinician may have fallen below the required standard of care.
A solicitor will also consider:
Doctors owe a duty of care to their patients. Proving a breach often requires expert medical evidence demonstrating that a reasonable clinician would have acted differently. Finally, a clear link must be shown between the breach and the harm suffered, which can be complex where there has been a long delay.
In November 2023, Yvette Greenway-Mansfield received a settlement of at least £1 million after doctors at Coventry University Hospital fitted her with an unnecessary mesh implant.
The implant caused severe pain, internal damage, bleeding, and erosion of the vaginal wall. Clinicians fitted the mesh prematurely and without proper justification. They also altered her consent form after she signed it, adding risks that doctors had not explained.
This case highlights how poor gynaecological treatment can cause devastating physical and psychological harm—especially when clinicians could have explored less invasive treatment options.
If you believe your gynaecological condition was poorly diagnosed:
From a legal perspective, if you wish to explore a medical negligence claim, it is important to speak to an experienced Medical Negligence Solicitor.
Our Medical Negligence Specialists at NJS Law have decades of combined experience representing clients in gynaecological negligence claims, including delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis of conditions such as endometriosis and adenomyosis.
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If you would like to discuss your situation, please contact us by phone or email to arrange a confidential consultation.
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