As the Women’s Health Strategy turns one, a package of support has been announced by the government to improve health of women and girls.

The strategy has already benefitted hundreds of thousands of women but there’s still a long way to go to address the gender health gap.

The measures announced include:

• £25 million to be distributed across England for the creation and development of women’s health hubs
• A voluntary pregnancy loss certificate will be available to parents from 9 October 2023, to provide a form of comfort and acknowledgement to bereaved parents
• A focus on supporting bereaved parents who’ve experienced pregnancy loss through their grief, recognising their loss, acknowledging their pain and ensuring they feel heard
• Greater IVF transparency through a new tool on GOV.UK to allow people to look up information about NHS-funded IVF treatment in their area
• The development of a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool to identify early risks in maternity units

Alongside these promising initiatives, the government also announced the launch of two new resources on the NHS website; a women’s health area bringing together over 100 topics on women’s health, including an information page on adenomyosis, a neglected gynaecological condition. A new hormone replacement therapy (HRT) hub has been launched to help women manage menopausal symptoms.

These pages will enable women and girls to access important information about their health and provide information on a range of issues including periods, gynaecological conditions, fertility, pregnancy, heart health and cancers.

Thanks to the work of BBC presenter Naga Munchetty and patient groups to raise awareness, these pages also include a dedicated resource on adenomyosis – a condition which causes heavy and/or painful periods

To continue this progress and drive forward work to improve women’s health, the Women’s Health Ambassador for England, Professor Dame Lesley Regan, has formed a new network of women’s health champions - made up of senior leadership in every local care system and co-chaired with NHS England.

Professor Dame Lesley Regan, who is also chair of Wellbeing of Women, said:

“A huge amount has been achieved in the strategy’s first year - from developing tools, identifying funding, piloting local health hubs, prioritising information on the NHS website and improving access to HRT - together we are making a real difference to the lives of so many women.

“This is just the beginning, and every conversation about women’s health is a step towards closing the gender health gap.

“The enthusiasm of all those involved makes it clear that everyone wants to get this right for women and girls, and I look forward to continuing to drive this forward in the coming years.”

Minister for Women’s Health Maria Caulfield said:

“A year on from the launch of our women’s health strategy, we have much progress to celebrate. Over 300,000 more women have accessed cheaper HRT, new women’s health hubs are popping up across the country and we’re adding a dedicated women’s health area to the NHS website. But there is plenty more to do.

“We will keep working and investing so girls and women across the country can benefit from the world-class healthcare they deserve.”

For more information, visit the Department of Health.

Visit the NHS UK women’s health pages.