Streeting Relaunches Women’s Health Strategy to Tackle Medical Misogyny in NHS
UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting has relaunched the women’s health strategy for England, explicitly aiming to combat 'medical misogyny' and end the practice of doctors 'gaslighting' female patients. Acknowledging that the National Health Service (NHS) is currently failing women, Streeting outlined new measures to ensure respectful and empathetic care. Key initiatives include establishing a new standard of care for pain relief during invasive procedures, such as hysteroscopies, and creating a single referral point to streamline access to appropriate services. The strategy also introduces a trial linking provider funding directly to patient feedback, empowering women to withhold payment for poor experiences. Additionally, the government plans to implement a £1 million menstrual education program and redesign clinical pathways to reduce diagnostic delays for conditions like endometriosis. This relaunch follows criticism from the Women and Equalities Committee, which highlighted that gynaecological health had been insufficiently prioritized, leaving nearly half a million women on waiting lists. The renewed strategy seeks to address these systemic failures by centering women’s voices and holding healthcare providers financially accountable for the quality of care provided.
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Streeting Relaunches Women’s Health Strategy to Tackle Medical Misogyny in NHS
UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting has relaunched the women’s health strategy for England, explicitly aiming to combat 'medical misogyny' and end the practice of doctors 'gaslighting' female patients. Acknowledging that the National Health Service (NHS) is currently failing women, Streeting outlined new measures to ensure respectful and empathetic care. Key initiatives include establishing a new standard of care for pain relief during invasive procedures, such as hysteroscopies, and creating a single referral point to streamline access to appropriate services. The strategy also introduces a trial linking provider funding directly to patient feedback, empowering women to withhold payment for poor experiences. Additionally, the government plans to implement a £1 million menstrual education program and redesign clinical pathways to reduce diagnostic delays for conditions like endometriosis. This relaunch follows criticism from the Women and Equalities Committee, which highlighted that gynaecological health had been insufficiently prioritized, leaving nearly half a million women on waiting lists. The renewed strategy seeks to address these systemic failures by centering women’s voices and holding healthcare providers financially accountable for the quality of care provided.
The Guardian