Why women’s health deserves more

In January 2024, it was announced that the UK government had pledged £25 million to expand its Health Hubs. Brilliant news, right? These hubs are essential for supporting the mental health of women struggling with issues caused by women’s health problems, as well as improving women’s health education. So, all in all, great news. Until you also find out that, around the same time, the government pledged £8.3 billion to fix potholes and carry out road maintenance across the UK. Potholes. Now, we understand that potholes are an issue - they damage cars, cause accidents, and are expensive to repair. But if we were to do a comparison, at the time of the announcement, there were approximately 1.4 million potholes in the UK. This equates to around £8,300 being allocated per pothole. Yes, we know that other areas of road maintenance also need funding, but when you break it down, it’s still quite a difference. Especially when the £25 million allocated to women’s health works out to just 83p per woman. Yes, you read that right: each of the 30.4 million women in the UK has effectively been allocated just 83p - that's the value placed on a woman's health. If we were being generous, and the funding were directed solely towards the 60,000 women unable to work due to menopause symptoms, it would amount to £416.67 per person. It’s better, maybe, but still nowhere near the amount spent on potholes. So, was it brilliant news after all? Not quite. In 2022, The Women’s Health Strategy for England was launched, and while this has made steps in addressing the health needs of women and raising awareness, there is still a lot to be done when it comes to understanding the full extent of what women can go through and what support they need. And when we say that, we mean women themselves need to be educated on what their bodies could be going through and the help they should be able to receive, because despite the progress made, women still need to be prepared to advocate for themselves, as they are often dismissed by health professionals and encouraged to just get on with it. In 2024, 760,000 women were waiting for non-cancer hospital care on the NHS, according to a new report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. If these women were to stand in a line and queue for care, it would stretch from London to Exeter, the college has said. The Times reports that the College is now calling on the government to deliver an urgent package of support for women waiting for hospital gynaecological care and to commit to a long-term funding plan to address the ever-growing list of women needing care. In August 2024, there were 592,662 people on the waiting list for gynaecology in England, an increase of 107 per cent since the start of the pandemic. The College surveyed more than 2,000 women and more than 300 healthcare professionals to understand the effect of the crisis on patients and staff. Seven in ten women surveyed said their ability to work or socialise was affected. When women come to Fortis, many are already at a breaking point. They’ve been struggling for so long that their confidence and sense of self-worth has taken a huge knock. Many spend two or three weeks each month feeling emotionally fragile and out of sync. They often face relationship problems, struggle to make decisions, and feel an overwhelming lack of control. Worst of all, they find themselves trivialising their own feelings, brushing them off or joking that they’ve ‘gone mad’. This can often affect their confidence, cause career setbacks, job changes, or even result in them leaving the workforce all together. We could go on. However, let’s set the rant aside, and look at the bigger picture - how this funding decision affects women’s health, mental health, and the UK as a whole. Perhaps, if we explained how women’s health conditions affect the economy, it might be taken more seriously. Because it really does have an effect. Absenteeism due to conditions like severe period pain, PMDD, endometriosis, fibroids, and ovarian cysts costs the economy nearly £11 billion a year. And, in case you missed it earlier, 60,000 women in the UK are unable to work due to menopause symptoms, which has an annual economic impact of around £1.5 billion. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists pointed to recent research by the NHS Confederation, which found that for every pound invested in gynaecological care, the potential return on investment could be as much as £11. So, what if we swapped the funding for potholes and women’s health? There would still be £17.86 per pothole, and we could use that £8.3 billion to focus on: 1. Expanding mental health resources for women While there has been an increase in mental health support for women, more resources are needed to address the growing demand. Hormonal imbalances and the effects of menopause disproportionately affect women’s mental health, and targeted interventions could play a big part in providing them with the support they need. 2. Improve access to reproductive health services Access to reproductive health services, including contraception and abortion, remains a challenge for many women. Expanding the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service and ensuring that all women have access to comprehensive reproductive health services would not only benefit women but also free up valuable time for GPs, allowing them to focus on more complex cases. 3. Support women in the workplace The economic impact of women’s health on women's employment highlights the need for better support and resources. Investing in menopause clinics and providing workplace accommodations can help women manage their symptoms. Staying in work is important for both the economy and a woman's sense of identity and purpose. 4. Address health inequalities In 2021, the NHS Confederation's report highlighted the disparities in access to healthcare services among different ethnic and socioeconomic groups. For example, Black and Asian women often face barriers to receiving timely diagnoses and appropriate care, while women from lower-income backgrounds may struggle to access resources due to financial constraints or lack of availability in their area. Targeted interventions are essential to make that all women receive the care they need. 5. Education Women need to be better informed about the symptoms, conditions, and changes their bodies may experience, as well as the resources and support available to them. Public health campaigns and school education programmes could help normalise discussions about women’s health and empower women to advocate for themselves when seeking medical care. It is equally important that health professionals receive training to understand the symptoms associated with women’s health issues better, rather than dismissing them. Investing in women’s health isn’t just fair—it makes good economic sense too. A recent report shows that the UK economy could gain £319 million by focusing more on women’s health. By shifting funds to these areas, we can improve women’s health and, in turn, boost the wellbeing of everyone in the UK. _________________________ SOURCES:

• NHS England, January 2024
• Department for Transport, January 2024
• RAC Foundation, 2024
• @jen.dometriosis
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 2024
• The Times, 2024
• NHS Confederation, 2024
• Women’s Health Alliance, 2024
• Menopause Matters, 2024
• World Economic Forum, 2024