Wes Streeting Relaunches Women's Health Strategy to Combat Medical Misogyny in NHS
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has pledged to stop women from being "gaslit" by doctors as he relaunches the women's health strategy for England. Speaking ahead of the strategy's publication on Wednesday, Streeting declared that the NHS is "failing women" and outlined new measures to enhance their access to essential healthcare.
Key Initiatives in the Renewed Strategy
The government's strategy introduces a new standard of care, ensuring women receive pain relief during invasive procedures such as fitting contraceptive coils and hysteroscopies. A trial will link patient feedback directly to provider funding, empowering women to withhold payment for poor experiences in paid health services.
Additionally, the plan aims to reduce long waits for diagnoses of conditions like endometriosis, which can take up to a decade to identify. This follows a recent report by the women and equalities committee, which found that gynaecological and menstrual health have not been sufficiently prioritised.
Criticism and Support from Stakeholders
MPs warned that parts of the original 10-year women's health strategy, launched in 2022 by the Conservatives, risk being scaled back or discontinued amid broader NHS changes. Sarah Owen, chair of the committee and a Labour MP, described this as a "disaster" for menstrual healthcare, highlighting that nearly half a million women are on gynaecology waiting lists despite available treatments in primary care.
The report cited "medical misogyny," where women are often told to "suck it up" and endure pain due to a lack of awareness about women's health issues. Streeting echoed these concerns, stating, "Women have for so long been let down by a healthcare system that too often gaslights women, treating their pain as an inconvenience and their symptoms as an overreaction."
Further Plans and Reactions
Other elements of the strategy include a £1 million menstrual education programme to help girls distinguish between healthy and unhealthy periods, a redesign of clinical pathways to speed up diagnosis and treatment, and a review of support for families experiencing repeated baby loss. The government also promises a "single referral point" to direct women to appropriate care promptly.
Dr Sue Mann, NHS England's women's health director, acknowledged that many women are dismissed for serious symptoms, affirming that the renewed strategy will build on existing efforts to ensure women are heard. Women's health groups, such as Endometriosis UK, cautiously welcomed the move, with CEO Emma Cox emphasising the need for decisive action to improve healthcare in England.
