WOMEN'S VOICES TO BE AT THE HEART OF RENEWED HEALTH STRATEGY

LONDON, April 14 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

* Women to be empowered with a stronger say in their care in new trial, where they will be asked if, based on their experience, money should be withheld from providers and used for targeted improvements * Gynaecare streamlined to cut waiting lists and ensurefaster accessfor conditions like endometriosis andfibroids * Newreforms to tackleoutdated andmisogynistic practices around pain relief

Womenacross the countrywill be betterheard and servedunder new plans set out in the renewed Women's Health Strategy, published today (Wednesday 15 April).

Women's experiences will beput at the centre of care across the healthcare system, ensuring patient's voices are listened to and acted upon, including exploring ways in which women's feedback can be directly linked toprovider funding and targeted improvements through a new trial. The move aims to ensure services are held accountable for listening to women, in a bid to stamp out long-standingissueswith women being ignored.

Women will be directed to the right professional first time through a single referral point,along withmarryinglocalservices withonlinesupportto drastically cut waiting lists and ensure women no longer face years-long waits for diagnosis and treatmentfor conditions like endometriosis, whichcan takenearly adecade to diagnose.

A new standard of care will also be produced to ensure women arefinallyofferedappropriateandeffective pain relief forinvasivegynaecological procedures, fromcontraceptive fitting through to hysteroscopies,addressing long-standing concerns around inadequate pain management.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said:

We inherited a broken NHS, which was particularly felt by women, who have for so long been let down by a healthcare system that too oftengaslights women,treatingtheir pain as an inconvenience andtheir symptoms as an overreaction.

Whetherit'sbeing passed from one appointment to another for conditions like endometriosisand fibroids, or a lack of proper pain relief duringinvasiveprocedures, through to having to navigate symptoms foryears before receiving a diagnosis,it'sclear the system is failing women.

Women's voicesmust becentral todeliveringeffective,respectfuland empathetic care. We need to hit medical misogyny where it hurts - the wallet.Today's renewed strategywilltackle the issueswomenfaceeveryday and ensure no woman is left fightingto be heard.

Dr Sue Mann, NHS England's clinical director for women's health, said:

We have come a long way in the last decade with women's health being talked about more but there are still parts of society and the health system that are trapped in outdated thinking.

Too many women are still dismissed for serious symptoms that impact on every part of their lives, whether that's menstrual pain, irregular periods, or hot flushes and brain fog that affect many women experiencing the menopause.

The renewed women's health strategy will build significantly on the work the NHS has been doing to ensure women are heard and get the specialist care they need - with a focus on bringing down waiting times, delivering more care in communities, and giving women more choice over their care.

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR said:

The renewal of the Women's Health Strategy marks another important opportunity in our mission to build a fairer health system. At the NIHR, we seekto influence the culture of research to ensure women's voices shape innovation and the development of new treatments and care.

By tackling long-standing disparities, addressing gaps in the evidence base through gender balanced research guidelines, and making it easier for women to take part in clinical trials, we are ensuring that the research that we fund benefits all women in society.

Women's Health Ambassador, Dame Lesley Regan, said:

This renewal of the women's health strategy for England is the next exciting step in our journey to close the gender health gap, not just between men and women, but also among and within those women experiencing the worst inequalities.

It is an opportunity to embed the voices of girls and women at the heart of the design and delivery of their healthcare, by including the conditions unique to women, those that affect them disproportionately and the conditions that present differently. We have made progress removing some of the barriers that women face across their lifecourse, but this refresh is our chance to travel further and faster.

To achieve the ambition of sustained improvement in the health of all women and girls in society, we must collaborate with government departments and sectors and build partnerships with industry and voluntary organisations who are so eager to contribute. When we get it right for women, everyone benefits.

Dr Alison Wright, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said: 

The refreshed Women's Health Strategy marks an important renewal of the government's commitment to delivering an NHS that works for women. 

We welcome the inclusion of many priorities the RCOG has long been calling for, including tackling the gynaecology waiting list crisis, raising menstrual health awareness, and supporting sustainable abortion services.  

With over 565,000 women still waiting for gynaecological care, there is a clear opportunity to embed Women's Health Hubs within the neighbourhood health model.

For the Strategy to achieve its full potential, it is vital that it is backed by sustained investment, clear delivery plans, and transparent progress reporting. We stand ready to work together with Government to ensure this Strategy a success.

Under this government,gynaecology waiting lists havealreadyfallen byover 30,000since June 2024, bolstered by record spending in the NHS andwiderplans to tackle waiting lists through the 10 Year Health Plan.

Women's healthhas also been prioritised through theannouncementof NHS Online - which willsupportwomen with menstrual and menopausal symptoms, along with bringing care into the community throughnew and expandedcommunity diagnostic centres,offeringservices including blood tests and MRIs to dramatically cut waits between gynae appointments.

This ambitious strategy renewal is made possible by the record £26 billion in funding for the NHS, secured by the UK's first female Chancellor.

Other reforms set out in the renewed strategy include:

* Redesigning clinical pathways for heavy periods,urogynaecologyand menopause tospeed up diagnosis and treatment * Funding a specialist centre in each region to introduce group-based approaches to care, helping women understandand managetheir conditions better * Launching a new £1 millionprogramme to improve menstrual education so girls are better equipped torecognisethe signs and symptoms ofunhealthy periods * Launching a £1.5 millionFemtechchallengefundtoaccelerate adoption of innovationsthat could transformwomen'shealthcare inthe future * Establishing the women's voices partnershipto bring organisationsrepresentingwomen together to hep inform future policy and decision making * Provide better access to contraceptive and abortion care with continued support for protected spaces * Review how different levels of support should work for families who experience repeated baby loss, and update the guidance based on that.

Through the National Institute for Health and CareResearch (NIHR), the government is funding research into areas of unmet need for women's health - including to improve care for young womenliving with intense period pain, and first of its kind technology to treat threatened miscarriage. NIHR are also embedding new sex and gender policies into health research, so that findings are genuinely representative and no woman is left behind by science.

Janet Lindsay, Chief Executive at Wellbeing of Women, said:  

Wellbeing of Women welcomes the launch of the refreshed Women's Health Strategy. We fully support the emphasis on listening to women's voices when planning individual care, and in designing wider systems for diagnosis, treatment, and support.  

We are pleased to see menstrual health placed at the centre of the strategy and welcome the government's commitment to strengthening education in schools. As part of our Just a Periodcampaign, we look forward to supporting this work, developing RSHEresources,and expanding our Period Symptom Checker so that everyone can feel informed and empowered about their health. 

Real progress in women's health is only possible through true collaboration between grassroot organisations, charities, healthcare professionals, industry, and government. Wellbeing of Women are committed to that collaborationand will continue to work across the sector to ensure the refreshed strategy drives meaningful,long‑termimprovements for all women and girls across the country."  

Emma Cox, Chief Executive Endometriosis UK said:

Today's renewed Women's Health Strategy comes at a time when it is desperately needed. Diagnosis times for endometriosis are going up not down andit'snow taking an average of 9 years 4 months - rising to 11 years for diverse ethnic communities - which ittotally unacceptable. Leadership and decisive actions will be vital to drive these times down.

Endometriosis UK welcomes the commitments in the renewed Women's Health Strategy which we have long been calling for, including streamlining gynaecology care and cutting waiting lists to ensurefaster accessfor conditions like endometriosis, improving menstrual healtheducation in schools, and ensuring women's voices are involved in future policy making.

A focus on symptoms such as heavy menstrual bleeding and pelvic pain has the potential to speed up diagnosis of endometriosis, adenomyosis and menstrual health conditions. Providing much needed pathways to access diagnosis andtreatment, andensuring healthcare practitioners recognise and take these symptoms seriously, could result in a step change in speed of diagnosis and access to care.

These commitments must be matched with a clear roadmap for delivery, including ensuring the necessary resources and capacity. We now look forward to working with the Government to ensure these commitments become reality so that everyone with endometriosis, adenomyosis and menstrual health conditions have their symptoms recognised andbelieved, andcan access the right care at the right time.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, said:

This isan important steptowards making sure every woman is listened to and receives the care she needs. Being heard and understood are critical toensuringwomen get the right treatment at the right time.Now we need sustained action right across the NHS to ensure women's voices are both listened to - and acted upon - to protect women's heart health at every stage of life.

The outdated idea that heart disease is a 'man's disease' has cost many women their health and, in some cases, their lives. Their symptoms are too often overlooked, and women continue to be underrepresented in crucial heart research.That'swhy BHF is committed to changing a poor status quo by investing incutting‑edgeresearch into women's heart health and taking bold steps to strengthen the science that underpins better care for millions of women.

Dr Zara Haider, President of the College of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare, said: 

For far too long, women's health needs have been placed at the bottom of the list, soit's good to see this Government is finally working to address this.We're really pleased to see women's sexual and reproductive health placed firmly at the centre of this renewed strategy, with plans to expand access to the most effective forms of contraception. We are also encouraged to see that the Government has listened to our recent campaign about pain during coil fittings and is working to address this. 

Making services accessible and recognising the needs of patients is another welcome addition. If Neighbourhood Health Centres, which aim to offer a single, convenient point of access for women's health, can replicate the successdemonstrated by Women's Health Hubs, this would be a major step forward.

Professor Faye Ruddock DL, Founding Chair, Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN)said:

The Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN) warmly welcomes the renewed Women's Health Strategy and is encouraged by its clear commitment to tackling the deep-rooted inequalities that continue to affect women's health, particularly for Black women and other marginalised groups.

The recognition of key women's health concerns such as fibroids, menstrual health, and menopause inequalities, alongside the focus on community voice,co‑production, and culturally responsive care, reflects meaningful listening and genuine intent.

We look forward to working closely with DHSC, NHS England, ICBs, and key stakeholders to ensure that implementation is grounded in the lived experiences of the women most affected.

This work builds on the government's action to reform women's health,including free emergency contraception in pharmacies, at-home HPV testing kits, gynaecology as the first specialty for NHS online and the introduction of bereavement leave for miscarriage.

From this year, the standard NHS Health Check offered to all adults aged 40 to 74 will also include aquestion aboutmenopause symptoms, giving up to 5 million women an easier route to advice and support.

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.