NHS Coil Removal Waiting Times Are As Long As A Year

Since the summer I have been making contact with my local GP to book an appointment to have my current coil (expiring in November) replaced.

I was made aware by female family/friends that I should make contact with my GP as far in advance as possible as the waiting list for the coil is extremely long. After calling my GP in the summer I was told that I had made contact too early and I should call again one/two months in advance to book in. I followed these instructions and was eventually added to the coil waiting list in September. After chasing up my case in October and then again in early November I was informed by the administrator in charge of the 'Coil waiting list' on both occasions that she could still not offer me an appointment as there are still no slots available. I raised my concern about the fact my coil is now expiring in a matter of weeks and as a result I wouldn't be protected from getting pregnant unless my husband and I use condoms. The clinician advised that there is nothing she could do about getting me an appointment any earlier as the waiting list is very long and there are only two practitioners who take appointments for the coil. I asked if she could give me any sort of time frame as to how long I would have to continue with my expired coil and she couldn't give me an answer.

In an attempt to be proactive, I made contact with my local Sexual Health Clinic to enquire if I could make an appointment with them to have my coil removed. They informed me that this is not a service they offer anymore and I needed to make an appointment with my GP.

I have since researched the 'NHS coil waiting list' and found that it can be as long as 6 months to a year women have to wait to have their coil removed.

More clinicians in GP practice need to become qualified to take appointments relating to the coil.

The 'NHS coil waiting list' is an issue directly related to female empowerment. The current system within the NHS is completely ineffective and has personally left me feeling completely out of control of my own body.

Choosing the correct method of contraception is an extremely important issue that every woman in the UK goes through at some point during their life. As a married woman in my late 20's, I am settled with a long term partner but not yet ready to start a family. The coil is the correct method of contraception for me at this stage of my life, however I am unable to access it. Furthermore I have a coil that will be expiring imminently and I am unable to book an appointment to have it removed in time, and there is absolutely no time scale that can be provided by my GP as to when I will get an appointment.

Women in the UK should not have to wait for this ridiculous amount of time to gain access to contraception. Not only is the process of trying to get an appointment for the coil emotionally draining and exasperating, it is unbelievable that we are in 2022 and women in this country are left to feel completely out of control in matters to do with their own body.