The family of a mum with endometriosis who took her own life after an agonising wait for surgery has branded NHS delays “a disgrace“.
Former nurse and police officer Nicola Thyne, from Bathgate in West Lothian, died aged 35 in January last year, leaving behind two children aged 15 and 12.
Nicola suffered excruciating pain for years before being diagnosed with stage four endometriosis when doctors discovered her organs had attached to her uterus wall.
After a 15-month wait for her scheduled surgery, she was told it was cancelled and that she would face an 18-month delay.
Nicola’s mum Elaine Watson told STV News: “I’m totally disgusted with the NHS.
“She was in hospital for two nights, two Christmases, and just got panned off with the medication. There was no ‘we’ll get the operation sooner or try to push it forward’. It’s a disgrace.
“The NHS for operations at the moment is absolutely terrible.
“She was in absolute agony. She could hardly walk or bend. She had horrendous periods.
“If she had asked us for the money to go private, she would have got it.”
Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it, causing pain, heavy periods and potential fertility issues.
The latest figures show the number of people waiting more than 12 weeks in Scotland for gynaecology has risen significantly.
Back in 2018 that figure was just over 1,700 – but at the end of last year, the number was almost 43,000.
Heartbroken Elaine said Nicola had written letters to all of her family members before she died.
“Nicola was one of a kind – a treasure,” she said. “Everyone loved Nicola. She was always smiling and lit up the room.
STV News“She was very clever and a great mum. She was the most wonderful girl and I was so proud to have her as my daughter.”
Nicola’s family has since helped raise thousands for endometriosis charities.
“We’ve got nine grandchildren so we have to keep going, but I find it hard,” Elaine added. “I have days where I don’t want to do anything.”
Elaine’s distant relative June Smillie has launched Nicola’s, a support group for women set up in her friend’s memory.
Ms Smillie, a mental health nurse, said the sessions will be a friendly, welcoming space for all women.
“Nicola was a gentle type, awful caring. She was unique,” she said.
“I wanted to set up a legacy for Nicola’s name – a space to bring women together.”
The group, run by a team of volunteers, meet at the Jim Walker Partnership Centre in Bathgate on two Saturdays each month.
June added: “I wanted it to be like as if you were visiting your pal – you always felt that Nicola was happy to see you.”
‘I was misdiagnosed and gaslit; all my organs were stuck together’
A former nursing student who raised thousands for surgery in Abu Dhabi claims she was “gaslit” and “misdiagnosed” by doctors for years before an examination revealed she had endometriosis.
Chloe Bremnar, 24, began experiencing “debilitating” pain when she was 14.
She claims doctors had mistaken her condition for IBS and a stomach bug and that it had been suggested that the pain was “in her head”.
Chloe recalled “bursting into tears” when she received an official diagnosis in 2023.
STV NewsA laparascopy showed that her organs had adhered together.
Despite her condition, she was told she faced a two-year wait for surgery on the NHS.
“It was validating to finally be diagnosed by the NHS,” she said. “It’s probably the most relief I’ve ever felt.
“I thought I’d get a surgery date. You could tell it was painful for them not to be able to help. I was crying when I left. I thought ‘how can I be left in this condition?’
“I was on morphine every day. It was unbearable.”
Chloe explained her endometriosis was “strangling” the tubes that go to her kidney and to the bladder.
If not treated, she would have developed kidney failure in a few years.
She managed to raise £10,500 for surgery at Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women and Children in March 2024, but unfortunately her symptoms have since returned.
Chloe is taking medication to induce a second menopause to help reduce the pain.
“The second I woke up after surgery, I felt free. But it grew back,” she said.
“It’s still causing serious complications for me; it’s not something painkillers get on with. It’s unbelievably debilitating.
“Stopping your period or having a hysterectomy does not take it away.”
Chloe also says endometriosis is taking a severe toll on her mental health.
“Not being able to finish my nursing degree was really difficult because I loved it,” she said. “It’s incredibly difficult to work when it’s so unpredictable.
“Watching your friends go travelling, living their life – and I can’t… It’s really hard.
“It’s a chronic condition and impacts all aspects of life.”
‘Devastating impact on women’s health’
Experts say there is a gynaecological care crisis in the UK and warn of the “huge” impact the long waiting lists are having on many women’s lives.
Figures show 65,000 women were waiting to see a gynaecologist for a range of conditions, with 65% waiting over 12 weeks – treble the number of patients in 2018.
Dr Ranee Thakar, president of the Royal College of Gynaecologists, said: “There is limited capacity in the health system, exacerbated by increasing demand and operational pressures.
“Some of the women on these waiting lists end up going to emergency care. It’s having a devastating impact on women’s physical and mental health.
“Healthcare professionals are working very hard every day to deliver the best possible care, but they told us they are concerned about staffing not being sufficient to support this growing demand. These cases are getting more complex as they are waiting longer.
“We know historically investment in women’s health services has been insufficient. To make a difference, we need joined-up thinking, working together.
“We call upon the government to commit to long-term sustained funding to address the systemic issues driving these waiting lists. We also need an urgent support package for those currently on waiting lists because this is not a short-term problem.”
Dr Tracey Gillies, Medical Director, NHS Lothian, said: “Our deepest condolences are with the family involved and we would want to discuss with them directly. We are unable to comment on individual patients without consent.”
The Self-Harm Network Scotland (SHNS) website can be visited at selfharmnetworkscotland.org.uk/
The Samaritans can be contacted any time, from any phone, free on 116 123, email at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch. Details of other services and more information can be found on the NHS website here.
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