House of Commons · Westminster Hall
27 February 2025 · 15 other contributors · 14,158 words
Opened by Helena Dollimore Labour (Co-op) Hastings and Rye
Responding minister: Ashley Dalton
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Helena Dollimore raised concerns about women’s health in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The MP asks the government to address inequalities in women's healthcare and improve diagnosis rates for rare cancers. She also highlights the importance of more funding for maternity services and the need to tackle retention crises among midwives.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The debate highlights the issue of women's health in the UK, with over 800 public responses to a call for evidence. It discusses dismissive attitudes towards women’s pain, delayed diagnoses for serious conditions like cancer and endometriosis, and inadequate research on women’s health issues such as premenstrual syndrome and menopause.
Discusses challenges in fertility treatments, highlighting a postcode lottery for NHS-funded IVF cycles and inequalities in access for black and ethnic minority patients. She also calls for paid time off for fertility treatment and support in the workplace. Inquired about virtual health hubs and suggested a discussion on their effectiveness versus physical ones.
Debbie, a victim of the pelvic mesh scandal, shared her story with Chris Vince during his first MP surgery. He highlighted that chronic pain issues are often dismissed as hormonal or related to periods, causing significant delays in diagnosis and treatment.
Asked the Minister to comment on ensuring equal access to HRT medication across the country.
Welcomed the Minister and discussed various aspects of women's health, including pregnancy risks, postpartum depression, breastfeeding support, infertility, eating disorders, menarche management, endometriosis, breast screening, cervical cancer prevention, ovarian cancer detection, menopause impact, osteoporosis risk in older age, and progress made by previous Governments.
A constituent GP had to cut specialised contraception services due to funding issues, highlighting the lack of funding harming health outcomes. This will exacerbate an existing crisis in women's access to contraception. Addressed concerns regarding contraception services in the NHS.
She highlighted the urgent need for action on women’s health issues, citing the impact of poor healthcare on productivity and quality of life. She mentioned that gynaecological waiting lists have more than doubled since 2020.
Provides facts and figures about women's health issues in Northern Ireland, echoing concerns raised by the lead MP.
Perimenopause is overlooked despite its relevance to health, education, employment and demography. Women in her constituency have needed to take time off work due to symptoms they did not understand.
The Scottish Government’s clinical endometriosis pathway is not being delivered as intended, with long waiting times for specialist gynaecological services. My constituent waited over a year before deciding to go private due to pain and uncertainty.
Ms Ingham acknowledges the progress in addressing women's health concerns under the elective care reform plan, which includes increasing funding to tackle waiting lists for gynaecological treatments. She expresses support for actions that ensure women receive proper medical attention and respect.
Stella Creasy emphasized the economic impact of women's health issues, estimating an annual loss of £11 billion to the UK economy due to absenteeism and reduced productivity. She called for better recognition of the gender health gap and its effects on career advancement.
Ms Owen discusses the Women and Equalities Committee's reports on women’s health, focusing on miscarriage bereavement leave and medical misogyny. She supports an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill for time off following a miscarriage as it is not sickness but grieving. Additionally, she mentions issues like period poverty and long wait times for diagnoses of conditions such as endometriosis. Spoke about the Women and Equalities Committee’s report on women's health services.
The UK has the largest female health gap in the G20, partly due to misdiagnosis of conditions in women. Over eight in ten women report not being listened to by healthcare professionals, which impacts their willingness to seek medical advice and can endanger lives. The mesh scandal is an example where thousands of women were affected by mesh damage, leading to disabilities and complications.
Sonia Kumar highlights the stigma surrounding women’s incontinence and its impact on mental health. She shares that one-third of UK women suffer from urinary incontinence, yet only 17% seek help. As a physiotherapist, she advocates for increased access to professional help and multifaceted approaches to address both physical and psychological aspects. Asked the Minister to clarify and commit to the promise of universal fracture liaison services by 2030 as per the Royal Osteoporosis Society's appeal.
Asked whether the Minister would meet the eating disorders APPG to discuss online harm related to eating disorders.
Government Response
Ashley DaltonThe Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Acknowledged the harrowing nature of the Ockenden review and committed to addressing women’s health issues. Mentioned closer working with devolved Governments, the rollout of perinatal pelvic health services across England, and measures under the Online Safety Act 2023 to prevent children from accessing harmful online content on eating disorders. Discussed the Government's commitment to women’s health, including addressing waiting lists for gynaecological care, developing menopause care tools, launching a sex and gender policy for research, and implementing various measures related to workplace health. Mentioned the continuation of virtual health hubs and the ongoing debate about their format versus physical ones.