Maria Caulfield, Member of Parliament for Lewes and Minister for Women’s Health, has welcomed that the Government has set out the top priorities for the landmark Women’s Health Strategy for 2024, which include problem periods, maternity care and birth trauma support.
The Government's 2024 priorities were developed from responses to its call for evidence from over 100,000 healthcare professionals, women’s health champions, members of the public and other stakeholders across the health sector. They are:
• Improving 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, and actioning the recommendations set out in the Pregnancy Loss Review.
• Better care for gynaecological conditions and menstrual problems by producing new guidance and workplace support for women suffering from painful heavy periods and endometriosis, promoting easier access to contraception - which often plays a vital role in managing menstrual problems, and new guidance and workplace support for women suffering during their menstrual periods and menopause. The Office for National Statistics will investigate the impact of period problems and endometriosis on women’s participation and progress at work, improving our understanding to achieve reductions in diagnosis times.
• Expanding women’s health hubs by building on our £25 million investment. These hubs improve women’s 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.
• 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 Women’s Prison Health and Social Care Review.
• Bolstering research into women's health – a vital component to levelling up the playing field for women’s health. This year will focus on preconception and postnatal care for women, including contraception provision, and on raising awareness of morning sickness. It builds on the £53 million invested via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) programmes and will continue to improve how women are represented in medical research through its Research Inclusion Strategy.
Maria Caulfield MP 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 ‘women’s 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.
“We’ve made enormous strides in the first year of the Strategy and I’m excited to see what 2024 will bring.”
The Government's plans for this year will build on the successes delivered since the Strategy first launched 18 months ago, which include widening the availability of Hormone Replacement Therapy to over half a million women and the rollout of specialist women’s health hubs in every local health area. The Strategy has also championed the creation of a new dedicated women’s health section of the NHS website, providing updated information, advice and practical resources for women’s health across the life course.
As well as setting out its new priorities, the Government also announced the reappointment of Professor Dame Lesley Regan as Women’s Health Ambassador for England for a further two years, to December 2025.