Women will be given a direct financial lever to hold the health service accountable under a new government plan, with a trial scheme linking patient feedback to provider funding, allowing them to withhold payment for poor experiences in paid-for healthcare services.
The policy is a cornerstone of a renewed national women’s health strategy being launched today by Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, who stated the NHS was “failing women” and vowed to stop them being “gaslit” by doctors.
A system built on ‘medical misogyny’
At the heart of the strategy is a confrontation with what MPs have termed “medical misogyny”. A report from the cross-party Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) last month concluded that gynaecological and menstrual health had not been “sufficiently prioritised” by the government, leaving women to “suck it up” and suffer in pain for years.
The committee’s chair, Labour MP Sarah Owen, has been a vocal critic, stating that professionals often dismiss women’s concerns—a problem exacerbated for disabled women, those on low incomes, or from ethnic minority groups. She described the government’s past response to calls for action on medical misogyny as “deeply disappointing”.
“Women are not being listened to, despite knowing their own bodies,” Ms Owen has said. This culture has contributed to a critical lack of awareness of women’s health conditions, alongside stigma and inadequate education, as highlighted in a WEC report on reproductive health in December 2024.
Ending pain and diagnostic delays
To combat this, the renewed strategy mandates a new standard of care to ensure women are always offered pain relief for invasive procedures such as fitting a contraceptive coil and hysteroscopies. This follows WEC findings that women continue to endure harrowing experiences during such procedures, often not informed of potential pain and without access to sufficient relief, contrary to medical guidelines.
Another key aim is to slash the “national scandal” of waiting times for gynaecology and conditions like endometriosis. The government has pledged action to ensure women no longer face waits stretching to a decade for a diagnosis.
This promise faces a steep challenge. According to Endometriosis UK, diagnosis times are worsening, now averaging 9 years and 4 months—rising to 11 years for women from ethnically diverse communities. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) reports that over three-quarters of a million women are on gynaecology waiting lists. The December 2024 WEC report recommended the government commit to reducing the average endometriosis diagnosis time to less than two years by the end of this Parliament.
The strategy will attempt to tackle these waits through a redesign of clinical pathways and by promoting Women’s Health Hubs. These hubs, which streamline access to reproductive healthcare, have been shown to reduce waiting lists where implemented. However, a 2024 study found only 17 such active services across the UK, with widespread rollout hampered by fragmented commissioning and workforce shortages.
Broader reforms and education
Other measures include a promised “single referral point” to direct women to the right service first time, and a review of support for families experiencing repeated baby loss. This review will build on the independent Pregnancy Loss Review of 2023, which made 73 recommendations to improve care for pre-24-week loss.
Recognising that change must start early, a £1m menstrual education programme will be launched to better equip girls to recognise the signs of unhealthy periods. This addresses a gap highlighted by the WEC, which has urged improved menstrual health education in schools. The government has also confirmed the scheme providing free period products in state-funded schools will continue for the 2025-26 academic year, though uptake has previously been inconsistent.
Cautious welcome from health leaders
Women’s health advocates have responded cautiously. Emma Cox, Chief Executive of Endometriosis UK, said decisive action would be vital to improve women’s healthcare in England. Her charity is calling for the average diagnosis time for endometriosis to be reduced to one year or less by 2030.
Within the NHS, Dr Sue Mann, the health service’s National Clinical Director for Women’s Health, acknowledged the scale of the problem, stating that too many women were dismissed for “serious symptoms” that affected every part of their lives. “The renewed women’s health strategy will build significantly on the work the NHS has been doing to ensure women are heard and get the specialist care they need,” she said.
The original 10-year Women’s Health Strategy was launched by the Conservatives in 2022, but the WEC warned last month that parts of it were at risk of being scaled back under wider NHS changes. Today’s relaunch represents an attempt to reassert its priority, with Mr Streeting arguing that hitting “medical misogyny where it hurts – the wallet” is central to transforming a system that has for too long left women “fighting to be heard”.