ABSTRACT
Gynaecology is the specialty concerned with diseases of women, which excludes breast disease, in the UK. This chapter provides a framework for assessing the needs for the major components of the service and the scope for shifts in service provision from the secondary to primary care sector, inpatient to day case surgery and conventional to minimal access surgery which are all major purchaser and provider issues. It illustrates how little evidence-based medicine data are available for gynaecology and how new techniques are introduced without formal evaluation. The chapter explains the incidence and prevalence rates and hence potential for services needs for gynaecological conditions. It provides some estimates based mainly on specific research studies and therefore the data have to be interpreted with caution. The chapter identifies the main components that require incorporation into any strategy or service specification from patient information to the development of tertiary level services in order that an effective, efficient service is planned.
