International Women's Day - Government launches new scheme to shape future of women's health

Women of all ages and backgrounds are being urged to come forward and share their views of the varying health issues they have experienced and any inequalities they feel they have had with the health and care system.

To coincide with International Women’s Day, Monday 8 March, the government is launching a 12-week call for evidence where all women will be urged to share their experiences to form the basis of a new Women’s Health strategy.

The new government scheme seeks to examine experiences of the whole health and care system, including mental health, addiction services and neurological conditions as well as issues relating specifically to women such as gynaecological conditions, menopause and pregnancy and post-natal support.

Nadine Dorries, Minister for Women’s Health, said: “Women’s experiences of health care can vary and we want to ensure women are able to access the treatment and services they need.

“It’s crucial women’s voices are at the front and centre of this strategy so we understand their experiences and how to improve their outcomes.

“I urge every woman, and anyone who cares for women, to feed into this call for evidence and help shape the future of women’s health.”

'We must address inequalities which exist within it.’

There is strong evidence of the need for a greater focus on women’s health:

• Although female life expectancy is higher than men in the UK, women on average spend less of their life in good health compared with men. Female life expectancy in this country has been improving more slowly than male life expectancy since the 1980s.

• Less is known about conditions that only affect women including common gynaecological conditions which can have severe impacts on health and wellbeing, but for which there is currently little treatment. A key example of this is endometriosis with the average time for a woman to receive a diagnosis being 7-8 years, and with 40 per cent of women needing 10 or more GP appointments before being referred to a specialist.

• There is also evidence conditions such as heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis, pregnancy-related issues and the menopause on women’s lives is overlooked. This includes the effect they can have on women’s workforce participation, productivity, and outcomes.

• Studies suggest gender biases in clinical trials and research are contributing to worse health outcomes for women. Although women make up 51 per cent of the population, there is less evidence and data on how conditions affect women differently. A University of Leeds study showed women with a total blockage of a coronary artery were 59 per cent more likely to be misdiagnosed than men and found that UK women had more than double the rate of death in the 30 days following heart attack compared with men.

Matt Hancock, Health and Social Care Secretary, said: “The healthcare system needs to work for everyone, and we must address inequalities which exist within it.

“Improving women’s health, especially at older ages, is critical for a fair health and care system in the future.

“Our new Women’s Health Strategy will be a much-needed step forward to improve the health and wellbeing of women across the country.

“To build this strategy, we need to hear from those who it directly impacts. I urge all women, and those who have experiences or expertise in women’s health, to come forward and share their views with us to inform the future of this important strategy.”

The six core-themes included in the call for evidence are placing women’s voices at the centre of their health and care, improving the quality and accessibility of information and education on women’s health, ensuring the health and care system understands and is responsive to women’s health and care needs across the life course, maximising women’s health in the workplace, ensuring research, evidence and data support improvements in women’s health and understanding and responding to the impacts of Covid-19 on women’s health.

'Every woman in this country should feel heard and respected'

Minister for equalities, Kemi Badenoch, said: "Women know best when it comes to their health, and every woman in this country should feel heard and respected when it comes to their health. We want women of every age, ethnicity and sexuality, from every walk of life, to respond to our call for evidence so we can develop an ambitious strategy which puts their views at the centre."

The call for evidence has been designed to be user friendly, quick to fill out and easily accessible from people’s mobiles. People who live with and care for women, organisations with experience of providing services for women and those with an expertise in women’s health are also encouraged to share their views.

The call for evidence will run for 12 weeks from 8 March.

To contribute to the Women's Health - Let's talk about it website, go to: https://consultations.dhsc.gov.uk/talkwomenshealth