Representing our members and championing women’s health at party conferences

Every autumn, the political and policy world gathers for party conference season – a busy few weeks where MPs, Peers, advisers, journalists, and key stakeholders meet to discuss ideas that will shape the direction of government. 

At the RCOG, we take every opportunity to represent our members and advocate for improvements in women’s healthcare. Party conferences are a vital moment to make sure that women’s health stays high on the political agenda. 

Why we attend 

Conferences provide a unique space to speak directly to Parliamentarians and decision-makers about the priorities of the College, our members and the women they care for. Over the course of a few days, we hold short meetings with lots of Parliamentarians, advisers and sector leaders to share our latest work, discuss our shared priorities, and explore how we can collaborate to improve outcomes for women and girls. 

This year, RCOG President Professor Ranee Thakar and Chief Executive Kate Lancaster joined the Labour Party Conference, meeting with members of the Health and Social Care and Women and Equalities Select Committees as well as MPs who are campaigning on maternity safety and women’s health hubs. We also meet with key stakeholders across the sector, including other Royal College’s, campaign groups, and women’s rights groups. 

Our key priorities 

In our conversations, we focused on: 

• Improving maternity safety and workforce support during the ongoing national investigation into maternity and neonatal services.
• Tackling gynaecology waiting lists and ensuring that gynaecology stays at the top of the list of priority specialties in the government’s work to reduce waiting times.
• RCOG’s calls for an updated Women’s Health Strategy – ensuring the implementation of the 10-Year Health Plan works for women and strengthens services. Since the conference, we warmly welcomed the Government’s announcement that they will publish a renewed strategy in early 2026. This is an example of our advocacy and influencing having a real impact on political decision making. 

We also attended women’s health receptions, fringe events, and roundtable discussions on topics such as maternal mental health, healthcare innovation and prevention. 

What we heard at the Labour Party conference 

A consistent theme across the conference was the growing role of digital innovation in the future of healthcare. The 10 Year Health Plan makes clear that in all aspects of the NHS’s future, from patient interface to workforce training, digital will be at the heart of that future. There is real excitement around the potential of artificial intelligence and new technology, but also recognition of the need to ensure no one is left behind as services become more digital. 

Prevention of poor health was another strong focus – particularly how improving diets, tackling inequalities and investing in early intervention can help build a healthier generation and population. 

Many discussions also reflected on the importance of communication and public engagement. The NHS 10-Year Health Plan has the potential to transform healthcare delivery, but more needs to be done to help the public understand what changes they can expect and when. 

Looking ahead 

As conference season draws to a close, our focus now turns to the months ahead. Over the coming months, the RCOG Policy and Public Affairs team will continue to: 

• Work with the Department of Health and Social Care on the renewed Women’s Health Strategy, calling for meaningful engagement with stakeholders across the sector.
• Advocate for our members through the development of NHS 10 Year Workforce Plan.
• Support improvements in maternity care, including contributing frontline obstetric experience to inform the national investigation into maternity and neonatal services
• Push to ensure gynaecology services and tackling long waiting lists remain a national priority.
• Engage with Parliamentarians as the Crime and Policing Bill progresses in the House of Lords to safeguard women’s access to abortion care.