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Women’s Health Strategy
08 March 2021
Lead MP
Nadine Dorries
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
NHSEmploymentWomen & EqualitiesMental Health
Other Contributors: 26
At a Glance
Nadine Dorries raised concerns about women’s health strategy in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
Today on International Women's Day, the Government announced a new national women’s health strategy for England. The minister emphasised that women have been underrepresented in research and healthcare systems designed primarily by men, leading to less evidence and data on how conditions affect women differently compared to men. Despite living longer, women spend more years in ill health and disability, and there are growing geographic inequalities in life expectancy. The call for evidence will run until 30 May and focuses on six pillars: placing women's voices at the centre of their health and care; improving the quality and accessibility of information and education; ensuring the health and care system understands and responds to women’s needs throughout their lives; maximising women’s health in the workplace; ensuring research, evidence and data support improvements in women’s health; and understanding and responding to the impacts of covid-19 on women's health. The Minister also highlighted existing efforts such as the strategy on tackling violence against women and girls and a new sexual and reproductive health strategy.
Kerry McCarthy
Lab
Bristol East
Question
Will a cross-departmental approach be used for developing the strategy?
Minister reply
The minister responded that work has been done across government departments, including with the Department of Health and Social Care, and that she is in regular dialogue with other relevant ministers.
Caroline Johnson
Con
Great Yarmouth
Question
How will the strategy tackle endometriosis?
Minister reply
The minister acknowledged the importance of endometriosis and mentioned that March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. She stated that they are committed to understanding how to improve treatment options, diagnosis times, and care for women with the condition.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Question
How will the Government address disparities in maternal mortality?
Minister reply
The minister highlighted the establishment of a forum to bring together experts on inequalities faced by women from different ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic groups during pregnancy and childbirth.
Joanna Cherry
SNP
Edinburgh South
Question
Will the strategy address the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women?
Minister reply
The minister acknowledged that women have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, particularly in frontline roles within healthcare and social care. She emphasised the importance of understanding these impacts to improve future support.
Graham Evans
Lab
Islwyn
Question
How will the Government ensure research is inclusive of women's health issues?
Minister reply
The minister stated that there needs to be a focus on ensuring women, especially from ethnic minorities and those with disabilities, are included in research. She committed to addressing under-representation in research.
Tooting
Question
The MP thanked the Minister for her statement, but expressed concern over the delay in implementing a women’s health strategy despite previous initiatives like the mental health taskforce. She raised issues including eating disorders, trans women's experiences, domestic violence, pregnancy and childbirth inequalities, menopause stigma, misdiagnosis of heart attacks, and gender pay gaps within healthcare services.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledged these concerns and highlighted that while there had been previous initiatives like the mental health taskforce, this was a new call for evidence involving all women across the UK. She provided details on recent improvements in stillbirth rates and funding allocated towards tackling eating disorders among young people.
Caroline Nokes
Con
Romsey and Southampton North
Question
The MP welcomed the call for evidence but sought reassurance that it would not be limited to reproductive health, and would cover all conditions.
Minister reply
The Minister confirmed that the consultation will cover all aspects of women's healthcare, including menopause, menstrual health, and mental health issues. She emphasised the need for data on inequalities in medical research and treatment.
Question
The MP welcomed the statement and highlighted rising anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, loneliness, and eating disorders among young women due to the pandemic. She called for a move away from an antiquated BMI-based model in identifying eating disorders.
Minister reply
The Minister thanked the MP for her work and acknowledged recent funding commitments towards addressing the surge of eating disorders during the pandemic. She confirmed that the Government is committed to working with cross-party parliamentarians to address these issues.
Question
Compliments the minister on her statement today, particularly the detailed pillars outlined in the women’s health strategy which centres women, their voices, experiences, and evidence for future health policy.
Minister reply
Thanks Julie Marson for her encouragement. The Minister states that the strategy is a first of its kind with tight timelines to keep momentum going and hopes everyone will participate by providing evidence.
Diana R. Johnson
Lab
Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
Question
Asks about the report 'Women’s Lives, Women’s Rights' which highlights reduced access to contraception, increased abortion rates, and asks how this can be put right and how sexual and reproductive health strategy will work alongside women's health strategy.
Minister reply
The Government are committed to developing a separate sexual and reproductive health strategy in 2021. Officials are working together to ensure coherence between the two strategies while acknowledging that abortion is a conscience issue.
Question
Asks if women with complex needs, such as addiction, trauma, abuse, and eating disorders, will be forgotten in this strategy.
Minister reply
Reassures that these women are not forgotten. Encourages them to provide evidence via a link on their phone or laptop for the development of the women's health strategy.
Wera Hobhouse
Lib Dem
Bath
Question
Welcomes the statement and emphasises eating disorders have high mortality rates and disproportionately affect women. Asks if there will be waiting time targets for adult eating disorder services based on existing evidence.
Minister reply
Thanks Wera Hobhouse for her question. She mentions £79 million allocated last week towards mental health issues including eating disorders and encourages the Hon to inform her contacts about the call for evidence.
Robbie Moore
Con
Keighley and Ilkley
Question
Asks if forthcoming women’s health strategy will contain measures to level up access to mental health services regardless of location.
Minister reply
Confirms parity between physical and mental health is a priority. £2.3 billion has been invested year on year with another £500 million allocated at the spending review, including £79 million for dealing with mental health issues.
Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Question
Asks if women providing evidence about chronic long-term conditions affecting workforce participation will receive adequate support from the welfare system and requests a commitment to work with DWP.
Minister reply
Thanks Liz Saville-Roberts for her question. The Minister assures that any evidence provided by women will be shared with other Departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions.
Selaine Saxby
Con
North Devon
Question
Does the minister share concerns about geographic disparities in women's healthcare experiences and can she confirm that the strategy will address these issues?
Minister reply
The minister confirmed awareness of geographic disparities but stressed that the strategy would be shaped by evidence from women, not preconceived ideas. She encouraged engagement with the call for evidence.
Tonia Antoniazzi
Lab
Gower
Question
What are the Government going to do to ensure support is available for mothers who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and how will this be addressed in the strategy?
Minister reply
The minister acknowledged mental health issues but redirected the question to the call for evidence, urging women to contribute their experiences.
Nickie Aiken
Con
City of Westminster
Question
Will menopause services be at the heart of the strategy and will she meet with a group of women experiencing the menopause to discuss support?
Minister reply
The minister affirmed that the call for evidence includes questions on menopause and encouraged participation in discussions to break down taboos around this issue.
Carla Lockhart
DUP
Upper Bann
Question
What efforts will be made to gather evidence from women who have experienced post-traumatic stress due to pressure to terminate a pregnancy for genetic reasons?
Minister reply
The minister stated that abortion is being discussed separately under the sexual and reproductive strategy, but all evidence on women’s health issues would be considered. She urged submission of such cases via the portal.
Dehenna Davison
Con
Barking
Question
Will IVF experiences, including geographic disparities in NHS treatment eligibility, be included in the review or separate sexual and reproductive health review?
Minister reply
The minister encouraged women undergoing IVF to share their experiences with both reviews, highlighting a case of inconsistency between clinical commissioning groups.
Mohammad Yasin
Lab
Bedford
Question
What is the Government's plan for urgently training and recruiting more midwives to ensure safe maternity care in light of staffing issues at Bedford Hospital?
Minister reply
The minister emphasised her commitment to being the safest country for childbirth, citing progress on reducing stillbirths and neonatal deaths. She urged engagement with the call for evidence.
Mary Robinson
Con
Cheadle
Question
What conversations is she having with other Departments and organisations to ensure broad participation in the consultation?
Minister reply
The minister outlined a 12-week call for evidence involving cross-departmental work, engagement with charities, and media outreach to gather wide-ranging information.
Cat Smith
Lab
Lancaster and Wyre
Question
Will the Government establish a redress agency for victims of sodium valproate prescribed during pregnancy despite known risks?
Minister reply
The minister detailed MHRA actions since 1974, including recent safety measures. She explained that existing redress processes were preferred to avoid complicating the landscape.
Darren Henry
Con
Broxtowe
Question
I applaud the Minister's statement on International Women’s Day, highlighting concerns about negative birth outcomes for black, African and Caribbean women. I mention a constituent's case to stress the importance of gathering evidence from individual experiences to understand why such disparities exist.
Minister reply
The minister acknowledges the issue by establishing a maternal inequalities oversight forum to learn from experts and organisations like MBRRACE and Maternity Voices about issues affecting BAME women. She encourages constituents to share their personal stories as they are crucial for understanding and addressing these health disparities.
Kerry McCarthy
Lab
Bristol East
Question
The hon. Member raises concern over the long diagnosis times for endometriosis, which currently average eight years. She requests a commitment to reduce this time to four years or less by 2025 and one year or less by 2030.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledges the importance of raising awareness through groups like the all-party parliamentary group on endometriosis. The Government aims to complete their strategy by the end of the year after a call for evidence, aiming to act quickly but ensuring thorough data collection.
Question
The hon. Member celebrates International Women’s Day and inquires about steps being taken to ensure that voices from different communities are consulted on the women's health strategy, particularly those from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Minister reply
The Minister confirms a 12-week consultation period during which all Departments and Ministers will work to reach out to as many women across various backgrounds and geographical locations in the UK. The goal is to gather comprehensive evidence for better outcomes.
Shadow Comment
Rosena Allin-Khan
Shadow Comment
The shadow minister welcomed the Government’s initiative but criticised its delayed action, noting that similar announcements were made in 2017. She emphasised the importance of addressing unique female health concerns such as eating disorders and menopause-related issues, and questioned why there has been a delay in implementing solutions despite knowing about inequalities for years. Allin-Khan also highlighted the need to support women facing baby loss during the pandemic and those suffering from mental health issues due to domestic violence or pregnancy. She asked if targets set by the “Five Year Forward View for Mental Health” have been met, called for research to address the data gap in understanding women's symptoms differently from men’s, and questioned how pay disparities affect frontline NHS staff.
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