Government To Renew Women’s Health Strategy

The government has announced that the Women’s Health Strategy will be renewed as part of efforts to improve access to healthcare and tackle inequalities faced by women across England.

Published by the Department of Health and Social Care, the renewed strategy will outline how the government intends to remove barriers in women’s healthcare and support a system that listens to women’s experiences.

The update follows confirmation that menopause questions will be added to the NHS Health Check, to better support millions of women. The renewed strategy will form part of the 10 Year Health Plan, incorporating feedback from the government’s recent consultation, described as the biggest ever public conversation about the future of the NHS.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care, the refreshed strategy, due to be published next year, will:

• Identify specific barriers to women’s healthcare access.
• Set out concrete actions to remove those barriers.
• Build on recent measures aimed at improving outcomes and reducing waiting times.

The government reports that gynaecology waiting lists have started to fall for the first time in years following targeted investment, and that several immediate steps have already been introduced, including:

• Jess’s Rule, requiring GPs to review cases where a patient has seen them three times without a diagnosis or where symptoms worsen.
• A plan to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through a new national programme.
• A commitment to make emergency hormonal contraception available free of charge at NHS pharmacies.

These actions are part of the wider Plan for Change mission to create an NHS that is “fit for the future”, focusing on more personalised and preventative healthcare for women.

Read the full Department of Health and Social Care press release here