Doctors warn women will keep suffering as government's new health plan fails to tackle gender care gap
The government’s long-term health strategy promises big change — but fails to commit to closing the gender health gap that’s costing women years of healthy life, warn leading doctors and campaigners
The government’s newly published 10-Year Health Plan for England, titled Fit for the Future, has been cautiously welcomed by health leaders — but criticised for its failure to make a firm commitment to ending the gender health gap.
Responding to the plan, Professor Ranee Thakar, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), said that while the overall direction is right, “a huge opportunity may be missed” unless women’s health is seen as a core, not a side issue.
“The 10-Year Health Plan sets the right direction for a modernised NHS… But it falls short in pledging to eliminate the gender health gap that is costing women years of life and good health,” she said.
“It’s time for a health system with all women at its heart.”
The gap that still hasn’t closed
The gender health gap refers to the entrenched disparities women face in healthcare, from diagnosis and treatment to outcomes. Studies continue to show women are more likely to be misdiagnosed, dismissed, or left waiting longer for care, particularly for gynaecological, reproductive and chronic pain-related conditions.
The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan includes some welcome changes, including pledges to expand Women’s Health Hubs, address waiting times for gynaecology services, and publish a new Workforce Plan. But it does not commit to a strategic approach to closing the gap, nor does it acknowledge how gender inequality impacts care across a woman’s entire life course.
“Today’s plan must mark a move away from treating women’s health as a collection of niche issues towards offering women excellent, joined-up care across their life course,” said Thakar.
Maternity care concerns remain
The RCOG’s comments come just days after both the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and leading campaigners expressed concern that the Government’s plan fails to include trauma-informed care or a clear pathway to improving maternity outcomes.
Laura-Rose Thorogood, CEO of Make Birth Better, told MadeForMums:
“We are incredibly concerned about the omission [of trauma-informed care]… A rapid investigation is not going to unpick what is already inherently ingrained in our NHS. It needs to be part of the 10-Year Plan, with a clear strategic vision of how it will be achieved — with the service user voice at the heart of it.”
Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the RCM, added that maternity services — already under severe pressure — must be central to any long-term change:
“They owe this to staff who have held together our understaffed maternity services… and to every single family who has experienced poor care.”
What needs to happen now?
The RCOG is calling for the Women’s Health Strategy for England to be urgently reviewed and aligned with the 10-Year Health Plan. Their own analysis of progress on women’s health from 2022 to 2024 is due to be published later this month, and is expected to outline clear gaps that still need addressing.
Campaigners and clinical leaders are also calling for:
- A national strategy to close the gender health gap
- Investment in Femtech, women’s health research and workforce training
- Stronger action on racial and socioeconomic disparities in women’s outcomes
- Immediate implementation of trauma-informed, consent-focused maternity care
“Women are the cornerstone of our society,” said Thakar. “If we get it right not only will women’s lives be saved, but we’ll deliver societal and generational benefits — and billions for the economy.”
Read more:
- Royal College of Midwives says NHS plan offers ‘hope’ – but warns delivery must include midwives and mums
- ‘Incredibly concerned’: experts slam government’s 10-Year Health Plan for ignoring birth trauma and consent
- 1 in 3 kids are facing a confidence crisis – and it’s quietly affecting their whole future
Authors
Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.