Wales, UK has taken a groundbreaking step toward improving women’s healthcare with the launch of its first-ever Women’s Health Plan. This long-awaited 10-year strategy aims to tackle significant health disparities between men and women while broadening the scope of “women’s health” beyond gynaecology and maternal care.
The plan, unveiled on December 9, highlights the stark inequalities women face, from misdiagnosis of heart attacks to longer waits for pain relief and untreated health conditions such as asthma, mental health issues, and incontinence. These challenges often stem from women’s symptoms being dismissed or misunderstood within a healthcare system largely designed around the "typical male experience."
Key Actions of the Plan
The Women’s Health Plan outlines nearly 60 actions across eight priority areas, informed by feedback from over 4,000 women across Wales. Key initiatives include:
Menstrual Health: Establishing specialist women’s health hubs in each health board, increasing research into menstrual conditions, and developing educational resources for all genders.
Endometriosis and Adenomyosis: Treating endometriosis as a chronic condition with enhanced training and including it in educational curricula.
Contraception and Abortion Care: Expanding access to reliable online information, improving training on contraceptive devices like the coil, and collecting better data.
Pelvic Health and Incontinence: Introducing a pelvic floor dysfunction symptom checker and collaborating with universities on new research.
Menopause Care: Reviewing HRT prescribing practices, developing community menopause champions, and conducting targeted research.
Violence Against Women and Girls: Training healthcare staff to recognize and respond to abuse, appointing champions in each health board, and signing a charter on sexual safety in healthcare settings.
Healthy Ageing and Long-Term Conditions: Empowering women to manage their health needs and promoting preventative care throughout their lives.
A Data-Driven Approach to Women’s Health
By 2026, the Welsh Government plans to establish women’s health hubs in every region and allocate £750,000 to research women-specific health conditions. Data collection across all services will now be segmented by gender and sex, enabling a deeper understanding of women’s unique health needs and shaping better service delivery.
Bridging the Gender Gap in Healthcare
At the report's launch in Cardiff, Dr. Helen Munro, Wales’ first Women’s Health Lead, described the plan as a much-needed step forward:
“As a clinician, I am acutely aware that services for women in Wales often fall short of what women require, need, and deserve. Through true collaboration across healthcare systems and working directly with women, we can ensure better health outcomes for 51% of the population.”
Sarah Murphy, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, echoed this sentiment, emphasising that modern medicine has historically failed to meet women’s needs. She noted:
“Delays in diagnosing diseases and failures to offer effective treatment have led to poorer outcomes for women. This plan marks a significant shift toward ensuring women’s health needs are met with competence, equality, and urgency.”
Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on Women’s Health
The plan also tackles the intersection of health with factors such as ethnicity, income, and employment. Women in Wales are more likely than men to live in deprived areas, and life expectancy varies significantly by income level, from 78 years for the least affluent to 84 years for the wealthiest.
Paid employment is not always a safeguard against poverty for women, who are disproportionately affected by working poverty compared to men. These socioeconomic disparities contribute to poorer health outcomes for women across Wales, which the plan seeks to address through targeted initiatives.
A Decade of Change Ahead
With nearly 60 actionable steps, the Women’s Health Plan is a bold effort to redefine women’s healthcare in Wales, ensuring that women are listened to and their health needs prioritised. As First Minister Eluned Morgan stated at the launch, the plan represents a collective commitment to improving health outcomes for women across all life stages.
By putting women at the center of healthcare reform, Wales hopes to lead the way in closing the gender health gap and inspiring change globally.
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