Wellbeing of Women responds to the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England

The Government has launched its 10 Year Health Plan for England: Fit for the Future. Janet Lindsay, CEO of Wellbeing of Women, responded to the plan. She said:

“We welcome the Government’s recognition of the urgent need to transform NHS services by improving access to care within communities, focusing on prevention and improving the use of digital technology.

“However, although neighbourhood models are designed to be personalised for patient needs, we're concerned this makes it too easy for women's health to be deprioritised. We can't afford to ignore 51% of the population who face unique health needs throughout their lives and have faced fragmented care for far too long. As such, we'd like to see clarity on essential services that should be provided in every neighourhood health service - with women's health being one of these. Evidence consistently shows that when we get it right for women, there is a wide societal benefit.

“Women’s health hubs have also achieved a lot with limited resources to integrate care for women’s health in the community, and we want to see this work continue with the new neighbourhood health service.

“Equally while the plan promises “thousands more family doctors”, we need assurances that these professionals will be trained in women’s health – an area that is consistently under-resourced and under-taught. Neighbourhood health services should also be accessible for women from diverse communities, e.g. by providing culturally competent care to different ethnicities and ensuring women with disabilities can reach appointments with ease.

“As the plan is implemented, we would like the Government to prioritise the full spectrum of women’s health needs, across every stage of life. Women face significant barriers to diagnosis, treatment, and support across a wide range of conditions – from endometriosis and menopause to postnatal care and gynaecological cancers.”