{
  "id": 1275448,
  "title": "‘It was barbaric. I was crying my eyes out’: why are so many women left in agony by routine womb examinations?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/it-was-barbaric-i-was-crying-my-eyes-out-why-are-so-many-women-left",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-16T13:00:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Health",
    "slug": "guardian-health",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/16/women-routine-womb-examinations-hysteroscopies-pain-nhs"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Every year, over 70,000 hysteroscopies are performed in England, a procedure considered \"low complexity\" by the NHS. However, many patients experience inadequate pain relief and are met with unresponsive medical staff. Beth Harris, a patient, endured a hysteroscopy to remove a fibroid in February. The hospital had recommended taking paracetamol or ibuprofen an hour prior to the procedure, which she followed. Yet, she waited for four hours before her appointment at 1pm, surrounded by other anxious patients in her hospital gown.",
  "summary": "There are more than 70,000 hysteroscopies every year in England alone. The NHS calls them ‘low complexity’ – yet a shocking number of patients complain of inadequate pain relief and medical staff who refuse to take them seriously In February this year, Beth Harris sat in the day surgery waiting room of her local hospital and tried to steady her nerves. She was there for a hysteroscopy, in this…",
  "key_points": [
    "Over 70,000 hysteroscopies performed annually in England.",
    "Many patients receive inadequate pain relief during procedure.",
    "Beth Harris endured four-hour wait for hysteroscopy in February."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}