MHC statement in response to the publication of the Department of Health and Social Care's Women's Health Strategy
The Menstrual Health Coalition is pleased to publish the following statement in response to the publication of the Department of Health and Social Care’s Women’s Health Strategy.
The Menstrual Health Coalition (MHC) welcomes the broad ambitions of the Women’s Health Strategy and is pleased to see the Government’s recognition of the need for a clear and comprehensive policy to improve women’s health outcomes and experiences in the health system.
In particular, the explicit ambition to amplify women’s voices and place women at the centre of decision-making about their health is much welcomed.
The MHC is very pleased to see endometriosis highlighted as a focus area for implementing change. However, following the focus on menstrual health and gynaecological conditions within the Vision which was published in 2021, the MHC was expecting to see menstrual health given more focus in the strategy. The overview of responses from the consultation showed that groups from lower socio-economic groups were not adequately represented, the MHC is concerned about the impact this has had on the recommendations. We would like to see more being done to address socio-economic inequalities in women’s health.
We were also delighted to see the focus on women’s health hubs and recommendations which include commissioners considering the use of one-stop community based services for women’s health hubs. The MHC welcomes the consideration of the use of surgical hubs for high volume low intervention cases, which will help address the backlog of gynaecological cases in England and the recommendations on the use of contraception for non-contraceptive benefits. The Strategy has shown a dedication to understanding women’s experiences and providing better access to women centred care.
The MHC was disappointed to not see a wider focus on all menstrual health conditions along the life course. Heavy Menstrual Bleeding is a condition which affects 1 in 5 women but is frequently ignored. The MHC’s report on HMB – HMB: breaking silence and stigma – highlighted the lack of awareness of HMB and the need for the Government to take action. The MHC will continue to champion this issue and raise HMB on to the Government’s agenda.
While a number of important recommendations have been outlined in the Strategy, the MHC was disappointed to see a lack of funding commitments to implement change. The MHC believe funding is fundamental to support effective and necessary changes for women’s health.
As the Government implements the Strategy, it will be crucial to follow up with clear implementation plans at a national, regional and local level to ensure policymakers and providers are able to deliver on the aims and commitments set out by the Government. It will be important that the implementation plans consider the capacity of the workforce and training opportunities for staff across the health landscape.
The MHC looks forward to working with the Government, clinicians, patient advocates and policymakers to drive the implementation of the Strategy’s menstrual health agenda and improve the lives and outcomes of women affected by poor menstrual health.