Ministers across government urge women to shape women's health strategy

28 May 2021 02:57 PM

Response to call for evidence has been overwhelming, with over 80,000 women, organisations and clinicians responding so far.

To mark the International Day of Action for Women’s Health (28 May 2021), ministers across government toured the country to urge women to make their voices heard and help shape the first ever government-led Women’s Health Strategy.

The Women’s Health Strategy is designed to increase the health and well-being outcomes of women in England, and ministers and the government are determined that women get to shape the policies that will drive up equality in our health system.

To ensure the strategy works for women, the government issued a call for evidence, which closes on 13 June. There has already been a staggering response with over 80,000 women, organisations, clinicians and carers responding so far.

With just over 2 weeks until the call for evidence closes, the government is calling on women of all ages and backgrounds to share their experiences, insights and priorities.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock recently said:

The public have a right to expect a health and care system that truly works for everyone in society, regardless of background or gender.

There is unmistakable evidence, in the data and in people’s health outcomes, that there is a gender gap in our health system and it is this gap that we want to eradicate with the first ever government-led Women’s Health Strategy.

This strategy has to be one that reflects the views and experiences of women across the country, from Hartlepool to Cornwall, and the response so far has been overwhelming. Whether you work in the health and care profession or are somebody who uses it, we want to hear from you.

To further raise awareness, this week ministers across government are visiting women’s health-related charities, projects and healthcare settings across the country to make sure women are making their voices heard, including:

Minister for Women’s Health, Nadine Dorries, recently said:

For generations, women’s issues have often been marginalised, and seldom given the attention they deserve. At the same time, we have consistently been underrepresented in research and clinical trials.

It is high time we change that. We need to make sure ours is a healthcare system that is really meeting women’s needs. I urge all women, from all walks of life, to tell us their experiences and thoughts in our call for evidence so we can put your voices at the heart of our Women’s Health Strategy and make sure our future policy works for you.

It really is the final countdown – there are only 16 days left for you to make sure your voice is heard.

Other ministers, including the Prime Minister, Secretary of State for International Trade and Minister for Women and Equalities Liz Truss, Secretary of State for Justice Robert Buckland, Children’s Minister Vicky Ford, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Baroness Barran and Paymaster General Penny Mordaunt are expected to support activity on social media.

Charities, Royal Colleges, patient groups and other stakeholders are also lending their support today. Mencap, the Eve Appeal, the Royal College of Midwives, Endometriosis UK and the British Heart Foundation will share content, including videos and case studies, urging their members and supporters to respond to the call for evidence.

As well as health issues specific to women, the strategy will look at the different ways in which women experience health issues that affect both women and men. Women with health conditions such as diabetes, heart conditions and osteoarthritis are also being urged to share how their condition has affected them.

The call for evidence has been designed to be user friendly, quick to fill in 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.

Background information

Read the Women’s Health Strategy: Call for Evidence.

The 6 core-themes included in the call for evidence are:

There is strong evidence of the need for 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 well-being, 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 to 8 years, and with 40% of women needing 10 or more GP appointments before being referred to a specialist.

There is also evidence that the impact of female-specific health 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.

High-quality research and evidence is essential to delivering improvements in women’s health, yet studies suggest gender biases in clinical trials and research are contributing to worse health outcomes for women. Although women make up 51% 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% 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.

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