
A total of 62,198 women were waiting for gynaecological care at the end of February this year, according to official statistics.
Analysis by Scottish Labour shows 5,431 women had ongoing waits of more than a year for treatment, while 36,773 had been waiting more than 12 weeks.
Mr Sarwar said: “Too many women have been let down by systematic failures in our approach to women’s health and an SNP government lacking the ambition to fix them.
“With our entire NHS at breaking point under the SNP, women’s healthcare has been allowed to fall even deeper into crisis.”
Labour has pledged to tackle long waits for procedures, as well as provide menopause clinics in every health board, “protect women’s reproductive rights” and increase the number of health visitors.
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Dame Jackie Baillie, the party’s deputy leader and health spokeswoman, said: “Women’s health continues to be under-researched and under-resourced on the SNP’s watch, and women too often face a battle to be taken seriously.
“The SNP talk the talk, but their plans aren’t worth the paper they are written on as long as promises aren’t being delivered.
“It’s time to end the SNP’s neglect and give women’s health the attention it deserves.
“Scottish Labour will fix the SNP’s mess and make sure the services women rely on are fit for purpose.
“We will protect reproductive rights, improve maternity care and provide menopause support in every part of Scotland.
“Only Scottish Labour can get rid of this failing SNP Government and build an NHS that works for everyone.”
Scottish Labour has also pledged to deliver safe maternity services in all parts of the country.
It follows an investigative series by The Herald which revealed women waited up to 72 hours to access the labour ward for induction at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH).
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The investigation also highlighted the dangerous 100-mile journeys faced by women in rural areas of Scotland just to give birth, and maternity negligence claims of almost £100 million.
Jenni Minto, the SNP candidate for Argyll and Bute, said: “The Scottish Labour Party’s manifesto is clear they would cut £1 billion from our NHS – that would send our NHS, and progress in women’s health, backwards.
“Women’s health is a priority for the SNP and that’s reflected in the fact we were the first country on these islands to introduce a Women’s Health Plan with new action on gynaecology where we’ve seen longest waits for new outpatients fall by over 18%.
“A re-elected SNP Government will go even further – we will look at IVF provision with a focus on expanding access, we will initiate a national review of maternity services, along with provision of dedicated spaces within hospitals in the event of pregnancy complications and miscarriage.”
Scottish Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine said there were “still mountains to move” to ensure women receive the right healthcare.
“Our manifesto is committing to a special focus on ending medical misogyny, so that women’s symptoms are not dismissed, and so that we can ramp up training and research into conditions like endometriosis, the menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome and many more,” she said.
Earlier this year, The Herald revealed a 255.3% increase between 2018 and 2025 in the number of women on waiting lists for gynaecological care in Scotland, with tens of thousands of women waiting for treatment for painful and life-altering conditions.
Dr Alison Wright, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), told The Herald in February: “Our members are working tirelessly to meet rising demand, but pressures across services mean capacity is stretched at every stage of care.
“With the right investment, there is a real opportunity to change this situation for women. By re-prioritising the health needs of 51% of the population, we can make genuine improvements to women’s lives – ensuring they can access the high-quality care they need, when they need it.”
Across the UK, 743,312 women were on a gynaecological waiting list.
