The new Women’s Health Strategy aims to bring about a number of important changes – many of which have been long overdue.
AT KIT we want to closely follow this and see the promised result. LETS STICK TO THE RESEARCH AND STATS FIRST:
Maria Caulfield has been the spearhead to LAUNCH a call for evidence to inform the GENDER HEALTH GAP. Maria Caulfield says:
“When we launched our call for evidence to inform the publication of this strategy, women across the country set us a clear mandate for change. Tackling the gender health gap will not be easy – there are deep-seated, systemic issues we must address to ensure women receive the same standards of care as men, universally and by default, This strategy is the start of that journey, but eradicating the gender health gap can’t be done through health services alone. I am calling on everyone who has the power to positively impact women’s health, from employers to doctors and teachers to industry, to join us in our journey.”
To start with, £10 million is set to be funneled into a breast cancer screening programme to provide 25 new mobile breast screening units. These will be targeted at areas with the “greatest challenges” of uptake and will also allow services to recover from the impact of the pandemic. It is hoped these screening units will tackle health disparities and lead to earlier breast cancer diagnosis – something that is crucial in ensuring a good recovery.
The strategy also includes several plans to improve IVF services, including removing additional barriers to IVF for lesbians, bisexual women and trans people, so that couples will no longer have to pay for artificial insemination to “prove” their fertility status.
The new plans also mean that NHS treatment for female same-sex couples will start with six cycles of artificial insemination, after which they will be given access to IVF services if necessary.
The changes to fertility services also include plans to “improve transparency on provision and availability of IVF” to tackle the “postcode lottery” in access to IVF treatment, and the introduction of a pregnancy loss certificate to be issued to parents who have lost a child before 24 weeks.
THIS NEEDS TO BE HEARD.
July 2022