No national assessment has been made. Hysterectomy is the established medical term for the surgical removal of the uterus. A change to an established term of this kind would require agreement across the national and international professional and classification bodies.

As with all procedures, healthcare professionals are expected to fully explain the procedure in advance, including expected symptoms, side effects, and risks. These conversations should be undertaken using a shared decision-making approach that ensures individuals are supported to make decisions that are right for them. NHS England has published guidance on the use of shared decision making, which is available on the NHS England website, under personalised care.

As part of the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy, we will co-produce with women a standard of care for the delivery of gynaecological procedures, ensuring all women give informed consent and are offered a choice of pain relief.

In 2024/25, 44,348 hysterectomy procedures were conducted in English National Health Service hospitals and as part of English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.