Department Of Health
- Top priorities to be tackled under Womens Health Strategy in 2024 include menstrual problems and menopause, maternity care and birth trauma support
- Support for domestic and sexual abuse victims and women in the criminal justice system will also be improved
- Health Secretary addresses womens health champions at major London event to outline plans for coming year and celebrate successes of Strategys first year
- Successes since the launch include reducing the cost of Hormone Replacement Therapy and the rollout of womens health hubs
- 50 million for research to tackle maternity disparities
The Health and Social Care Secretary has named problem periods, womens health research and support for domestic and sexual abuse victims among the governments priorities for womens health in 2024.
Speaking at the Womens Health Summit in central London to mark the second year of the landmark Womens Health Strategy, Victoria Atkins said it would also prioritise improving maternity care and support for mothers who suffer birth trauma.
This follows a raft of successes over the strategys first 12 months, including reducing the cost of Hormone Replacement Therapy for nearly half a million women, and the rollout of specialist womens health hubs in every local health area. The strategy also championed the creation of a new dedicated womens health section of the NHS website, providing updated information, advice and practical resources forwomens health across thelife course.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins, said:
Were breaking historical barriers that prevent women getting the care they need, building greater understanding of womens healthcare issues and ensuring their voices and choices are listened to.
Weve made huge progress enabling almost half a million women access cheaper HRT, supporting women through the agony of pregnancy loss and opening new womens health hubs but I absolutely recognise there is more to do.
Were ensuring these changes benefit all women, regardless of socioeconomic background or ethnicity, because our Womens Health Strategy is only a success if it works for all women.
The 2024 priorities were developed from responses to the governments call for evidence from over 100,000 healthcare professionals, womens health champions, members of the public and other stakeholders across the health sector.They are:
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Better care for menstrual and gynaecological conditions? by rolling out womens health hubs, producing new guidance for healthcare professionals, continuing to improve information and support for women suffering from painful heavy periods and endometriosis, and promoting easier access to contraception - which often plays a vital role in managing menstrual problems. The Office for National Statistics will investigate the impact of period problems and endometriosis on womens participation and progress at work, improvingour understanding to achieve reductions in diagnosis times.
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Expanding womens health hubs by?delivering through our 25 million investment, the hubs will improve womens access to care, improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities. We are working towards the aim of establishing one fully functioning hub in every local area this year, enabling better access and quality of care in services for menstrual problems, contraception, pelvic pain, menopause care and more.
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Tackling disparities and improving support for vulnerable women?including victims of sexual abuse and violence by ensuring training and support systems are working collaboratively and efficiently This will include creating new models within the NHS to protect its staff. We will focus on improving the health of women in the justice system, by implementing the recommendations set out in the National Womens Prison Health and Social Care Review.
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Bolstering maternity care, before during and after pregnancy by continuing to deliver on the Three Year Delivery Plan and ensuring women understand the care they can expect from the NHS during pregnancy and after giving birth. We will also be supporting women who suffer with birth trauma and ensure both mental and physical health are prioritised. A greater focus will be placed on preconception and postnatal care for women, raising awareness of morning sickness and actioning the recommendations set out in the Pregnancy Loss Review.Through the first ever National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Challenge, backed by 50 million, researchers, policymakers, and women will be tasked with finding new ways to tackle maternity disparities.
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More research? a vital component to levelling up the playing field for womens health. In addition to the NIHR Challenge, we are building on the 53 million invested via the NIHR programmes and will continue to improve how women are represented in medical research through its Research Inclusion Strategy.
Minister for Womens Health, Maria Caulfield, said:
Helping women and girls who suffer from bad periods can make a huge difference to their lives, education and careers. And any woman who has experienced trauma after giving birth either mentally or physically will know the impact it can have on all aspects of her life.
These are issues that impact women but they should not be seen as a womens problems it is an everyone problem. We are doing more to put these issues on the agenda and keep them there, to close the gender health gap once and for all.
Weve made enormous strides in the first year of the strategy and Im excited to see what 2024 will bring.
As well as announcing its new priorities, the government announced the reappointment of Professor Dame Lesley Regan as Womens Health Ambassador for England for a further two years, to December 2025.
Professor Dame Lesley was appointed as the Womens Health Ambassador in 2022 and brings a raft of expertise spanning a 44-year career in womens health as a practicing clinician. She has specialised in core areas including miscarriage, period problems, gynaecological surgery, and menopause.
Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Womens Health Ambassador, said:?
Our Womens Health Strategy is ambitious. It was created to ensure our healthcare system places womens health on an equal footing to men.
I want women everywhere to feel confident that when seek advice from their healthcare professional, whether its for heavy or painful periods or issues following birth, they know they are going to receive worldclass treatment. This is the ultimate goal of the Strategy, and I am delighted that we have made such positive progress in the first year and generated so much enthusiastic help to succeed.
This coming year offers us the opportunity of taking further steps forward in delivering be