The Government’s decision to renew the Women’s Health Strategy is a direct response to the RCOG’s call for action.
The renewal provides a vital opportunity to turn ambition into delivery - ensuring all women, wherever they live, can access high-quality, joined-up care throughout their lives.
The RCOG warmly welcomes the Government’s commitment and now urges alignment between the recommendations in our evaluation, A Work in Progress, and the three shifts set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, so the renewed Strategy drives meaningful system-level change.
From hospital to community
- What’s working - Investment in the development of Women’s Health Hubs is starting to make a real difference, improving access, outcomes, and value for money by bringing services closer to home. Recent NHS England research found that the Women's Health Hub model has the potential to reduce secondary care referrals for conditions like menorrhagia and menopause by almost half, projected to have national savings of up to £430 million. We’ve also seen some progress in research and data to better understand inequalities in gynaecology waiting times.
- What we need to see in the refreshed Strategy - The renewed Strategy must build on these early successes by protecting and expanding Women’s Health Hubs as a proven, ready-to-use model of care that deliver integrated community-based care, which aligns with the Government’s vision of delivering a neighbourhood health service. To sustain progress, Government must also address long gynaecology waiting lists, rising unmet need, and Integrated Care System budget cuts that threaten local services.
From sickness to prevention
- What’s working - We welcome the Government’s focus on prevention, including efforts to tackle inequalities, improve access to contraception, eliminate cervical cancer and address violence against women and girls. These initiatives are helping to shift the focus towards earlier intervention and improving women’s long-term health outcomes.
- What we need to see in the refreshed Strategy - Inequalities in women’s health remain widespread, and not all women are able to access the specialist services they need. The renewed Strategy must set clear expectations for what women’s health services should be available within every Integrated Care System, in particular services which help to drive down gynaecology waiting lists, backed by adequate funding and workforce support. A strong cross-Government inequalities plan will be essential to ensure every woman can access high-quality, preventive care wherever they live.
From analogue to digital
- What’s working - The Government’s commitment to improving data, research and digital infrastructure is an important step forward. We have seen encouraging work to strengthen data collection and use technology to enhance patient care and system efficiency.
- What we need to see in the refreshed Strategy - The renewed Strategy must go further to address persistent challenges in women’s health data and research capacity. It should set out how women’s health data will be improved and safeguarded, how digital exclusion will be prevented, and how patient choice will be embedded. This is a key opportunity to ensure women are truly at the centre of the Government’s digital transformation plans.
It is critical that the refreshed Strategy also aligns closely with the long-term workforce plan. An adequately staffed, well-supported workforce is the foundation of safe, effective care for women and people. Obstetricians and gynaecologists must be equipped to meet current and future population needs, but this also requires protecting the wellbeing and development of our clinicians. We must ensure we have safely staffed services with time for leadership and educator roles, training, clear plans to retain the existing workforce, stronger supportive and learning cultures, more multi-disciplinary training, and expanded opportunities for flexible working.
Read A Work in Progress: An evaluation of the Women’s Health Strategy for England.