BBC Woman’s Hour highlights pioneering conscious sedation service for hysteroscopy by Mr Richard Flint and Irina Stankeviciute

The pioneering conscious sedation service developed by Mr Richard Flint and Irina Stankeviciute at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital was recently featured on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, bringing national attention to the need for better pain relief options in outpatient gynaecology.

Together, Mr Flint and Irina have developed a dedicated service offering conscious sedation for procedures such as hysteroscopy, with the aim of giving women greater comfort, choice and control over their care.

During the interview, Irina discussed the importance of providing meaningful alternatives for women undergoing invasive outpatient procedures. For too long, many patients have been expected to tolerate significant discomfort or delay treatment because of concerns about pain.

More than 300 patients have now chosen conscious sedation for hysteroscopy through the service, with the team seeing encouraging outcomes in pain relief, anxiety and overall patient experience.

For Mr Flint and Irina, the work forms part of a wider ambition to improve standards of pain management across gynaecology. Their aim is to help move away from the idea that significant pain during outpatient procedures is simply something women should be expected to endure, and towards a model of care built around informed choice, dignity and individual need.

The team hopes that sharing its experience and outcomes will support wider adoption of conscious sedation and help shape more consistent standards of care across the UK.

Listen to the interview

Hear Irina Stankeviciute discuss the work she and Mr Richard Flint have developed at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.

Listen on BBC Sounds

The interview begins at approximately 17 minutes.