In a recent article referencing analysis by the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation , published by the QualityWatch, gynaecology waiting lists in the UK have tripled over the past decade, surging by a staggering 223%. This increase has far outpaced the overall NHS waiting list, indicating a critical crisis in women’s healthcare access.
The report highlights concerning disparities in healthcare access, particularly for women, black patients, and individuals living in deprived areas. Dr. Liz Fisher, a Senior Fellow at the Nuffield Trust, noted, “Behind the headline numbers are millions of individual patients anxiously stuck on waiting lists, in pain and with a reduced quality of life, or at risk of complications and even death due to delays in overcrowded A&E departments.”
Experts said the analysis showed “hugely concerning disparities” in access to healthcare and in how long patients wait for treatment. Those from the most deprived areas are significantly more likely to report waiting for planned care, while young black patients experience longer waits in A&E.
Breaking Barrier & Addressing Women's Health Challenges
EBO’s Digital Women’s Health Hub has been launched to to address these exact challenges, providing a solution that makes healthcare more accessible and inclusive. Powered by Conversational AI, this solution bridges these gaps in accessibility, education, and inclusivity—bringing women’s healthcare into a new era.
Digital Women’s Health Hub is an Integrated Care Board (ICB) approach, designed to enhance the entire healthcare ecosystem. It breaks down barriers—removing long waits, enhancing patient engagement, and offering tailored support through digital channels, reducing anxiety and giving women more control over their healthcare journey.
Through the use of an intelligent AI Virtual Assistant, EBO efficiently and addresses enquiries from patients, offers clear signposting and resources, gathers patient feedback and automates assessments—all without the need for constant human supervision. Its intelligent platform enables two-way, human-like conversations, ensuring information is delivered accurately, consistently, and with empathy.
Reducing Waiting Lists with AI
The solution offers an efficient and seamless approach to managing waiting lists by automating the entire validation process. The Hub reaches out to patients, directly engaging with them and confirms whether they still need their appointments. It then records their responses in the Electronic Patient Record (EPR), and keeps them informed before and after their appointments. This is done through natural, two-way conversations powered by Natural Language Processing (NLP).
That’s not all, The Women’s Health Hub efficiently addresses enquiries from patients andoffers clear signposting to accurate, clinically sound information and resources.
A special Focus on Menopause
Further still, the hub automates appointment management and assessments for services such as gynaecology and mental health. Its assessment solution transforms paper-forms into rich engaging conversations.
Let’s take the Menopause assessment – Instead of dealing with complex tedious forms, patients can complete the assessment by having a conversation on any device, at any time and in the comfort of their own home.
This not only simplifies the process but also encourages more women to seek timely care and support during this challenging phase of life.
By incorporating menopause-specific support and automating related assessments, the Hub ensures that women experiencing menopausal symptoms receive the care they need without unnecessary delays or barriers. Not only does this help to streamline processes and ensure that assessments are more efficient but it reduces waiting times and improves care outcomes for women at different stages of life.
The hub not only reaches diverse patients but also promotes patient-centric digital healthcare experiences across all devices and in over 100 languages.
Closing the Gap
At EBO, we believe in the transformative power of technology to close the gap in women’s healthcare. With AI at the heart of our solution, we’re here to reduce waiting times, enhance accessibility, and create a healthcare system that works for all women—because everyone deserves timely, effective, and compassionate care.
