Women live longer than men, but they live more of their lives in ill-health – and research has revealed a gender divide in healthcare. The Create Health Foundation, which I run, recently commissioned one of the biggest surveys of its kind, asking thousands of women to relate their experiences as patients. Sadly, it highlighted a crisis of confidence among many women in the care they receive from parts of the NHS.
One in three women aged 18-34 and 40% aged 35-54 who visited an A&E department about a women’s health condition felt they were not listened to by staff. One respondent suffered symptoms of endometriosis for 23 years, variously dismissed as stress, anxiety, IBS and shingles. When she was finally diagnosed with adenomyosis it had progressed to Stage 4.
She waited a further four years for treatment, resulting in the loss of her ovaries at the age of 44. As a result of this lack of confidence, a significant percentage of women, especially those under 34, have gone private for gynaecological and fertility treatments.
A women’s health strategy was launched by the last government in 2022, aiming to set a new direction but our survey and other reports suggest that health outcomes have not improved.
Women have specific medical conditions related to their reproductive organs, hormones and childbearing, but too often a lack of understanding by professionals leads to their health concerns being trivialised or dismissed.
A recent Parliamentary report found that delays in diagnosis of women’s reproductive health conditions have resulted in women making repeat GP visits and ending up in A&E as their conditions worsened.
So, what is going wrong and why? I have worked in the NHS as a lead consultant in reproductive medicine for nearly three decades and have been a longtime campaigner for health equality, so these questions matter to me greatly.
There is not only a clear moral case for alleviating the unnecessary suffering of women, but also a strong economic case for action in that failure to treat them means illnesses become much more expensive and complex to treat.
The House of Commons Library estimates that women’s ill-health is costing the economy £11billion a year. The impact on women’s health is also felt in the workplace. Our research found that one in seven women have been forced to quit a job because of a health condition.
That’s why this is not just an issue for the NHS. Employers have a responsibility too. One in three of the women we surveyed believed their employer offered too little support. So, what now?
One of our key recommendations is for the Government to work with employers to deliver better workplace policies, providing greater support. Another of our recommendations is to raise awareness of the NHS’s Women’s Health Hubs initiative.
Our research revealed that only 7% of women have visited one and seven out of 10 know nothing about them. These hubs should be physical spaces designed for the needs of their communities and be equipped with ultrasound and blood test facilities as a minimum, so women can access a one-stop diagnosis.
But no women’s health strategy will succeed unless we also invest in better training and education for medical professionals. They need to be equipped with the knowledge and technology to diagnose and treat women’s health conditions with speed and empathy.
This issue of medical misogyny is a societal one. In 2016, the Create Health Foundation launched the UK’s first fertility education module pilot, as we believe that the only way to change attitudes is to introduce women’s health and fertility education to the national curriculum.
The good news is that none of this requires new investment. In most cases, diverting funds and a more innovative cross-departmental and cross-sector approach, backed up by a commitment to long-term changes in the way we deliver care, can pick up the slack.
With commitment from Health Secretary Wes Streeting to reduce waiting lists, deliver care in communities and focus on prevention, I feel optimistic that we can transform the state of healthcare for women.
Professor Geeta Nargund is lead consultant in reproductive medicine, St George’s Hospital, and founder of the Create Health Foundation, www. createhealthfoundation.org
