Mr Richard Flint and Irina Stankeviciute’s work on hysteroscopy pain featured in The Guardian

Mr Richard Flint and Irina Stankeviciute, Senior Hysteroscopy and Conscious Sedation Lead Nurse at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, have been featured in The Guardian as part of a wider discussion about the pain many women experience during routine hysteroscopy procedures.

Together, they have developed the UK’s first dedicated conscious sedation service for outpatient hysteroscopy and other gynaecological procedures, with the aim of giving women greater choice over how they experience their care.

For too long, pain in gynaecology has often been minimised or treated as an unavoidable part of treatment. Mr Flint and Irina’s work challenges that assumption by placing patient comfort, dignity and informed choice at the centre of outpatient care.

Their conscious sedation service was developed in response to the experiences of women undergoing procedures such as hysteroscopy, where pain and anxiety can otherwise be significant. By offering another pain relief option alongside existing approaches, the service is helping to make care more individualised and patient-focused.

The feature also highlights the wider gender pain gap in medicine and the importance of listening to women’s experiences when designing and delivering healthcare. For Mr Flint and Irina, improving care means not only acknowledging pain, but changing systems so that women have meaningful options and greater control.

Their work at Chelsea and Westminster is part of a broader effort to raise standards in ambulatory gynaecology and encourage wider conversations about how pain is recognised and managed.

Read the full article

Read The Guardian feature on hysteroscopy pain and the work being led by Mr Richard Flint and Irina Stankeviciute