Alison Dunlop, Health Advocacy Lead, responds to the Women and Equalities Commission (WEC) Report on the current state of women’s health in the UK.

Last week’s  report from the WEC marks a significant and critical juncture in the call for the Government to address a persistent lack of focus on women’s health in the UK.

The report warns that medical misogyny is a critical factor in women facing years being undiagnosed or living with unnecessary pain when it comes to reproductive health conditions. The findings highlighted a widespread lack of awareness and understanding among primary healthcare practitioners of conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis and heavy menstrual bleeding – highly prevalent conditions that women and girls across the UK are living with every day.

The report findings reflect the persistent deprioritisation of gynaecological care – the true scale and impact of which was the focus of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RCOG) November report – Waiting for A Way Forward. The news headlines told a shocking story: over three quarters of a million women in the UK are waiting months and, in some cases, years with serious gynaecological conditions.

It is clear that the 2022 Women’s Health Strategy hasn’t made any significant improvements in addressing the stark inequalities women face daily when it comes to their health.

So what needs to change?

The WEC and the RCOG are united in calling for an overhaul of women’s health in the UK. The Government has to undertake an urgent review to identify help and support that can be provided in the short term for the 750,000 women currently waiting for hospital gynaecological services.

The WEC is clear that improvements in diagnosis times should be a key performance indicator for the Women’s Health Strategy. And when you consider statistics such as 1 in 3 women live with heavy menstrual bleeding and 1 in 10 live with conditions such as endometriosis or adenomyosis, it’s hard to comprehend why obstetrics and gynaecology is not a mandatory rotation in HCP training.

For the long term, funding has to be ringfenced to close the gender health gap. Attention has to be given to addressing the complex systemic issues driving waiting list growth and education and training has to be a priority for HCPs on gynaecological conditions. Improving awareness and understanding of conditions and diagnostic and treatment options will be a critical step in ensuring women don’t continue to live in unnecessary pain or remain undiagnosed for years. But, to deliver long term change, a greater share of research funding needs to be allocated to identifying the causes, diagnosis and treatment of gynaecological care.

Fundamentally, the Government has to commit to delivering the Women’s Health Strategy at a much faster pace – progress has been far too slow to date. It requires a clear implementation plan and key performance indicators for the remaining 8 years of the plan to live up to its promise of tackling deep rooted system issues to improve the lives of women and girls across the UK.

The impact of Women’s Health Hubs

We heard last week about the expansion of Women’s Health Hubs into Wales, with the WEC recognising this as a positive step towards the joined up care and commissioning needed to effectively support women experiencing gynaecological health issues. Increased funding and resource will enable the hub model to provide effective holistic care locally, avoiding hospital outpatient visits.

The role for industry

While the WEC and RCOG reports focused on gynaecological conditions, there are of course much wider inequalities in women’s health. And by leveraging their resources, influence and expertise, industry can play a vital role in advocating for change. We are starting to see a significant shift among key industry players, collaborating in above brand initiatives aimed at advocating for policy change – this has to be a vital step in increasing government funding and improving access for women across all demographics to treatment and care for conditions specific to their gender.

About MHP Health Advocacy

MHP Health Advocacy is committed to driving meaningful change, reducing gender health disparities and improving outcomes for women and girls worldwide. We support clients – across industry, patient groups and NGOs – in delivering advocacy strategies that equip women across all demographics to make informed health decisions and have equitable access to services and treatment to ensure they achieve the best possible outcomes.

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