The UK government has unveiled a renewed Women’s Health Strategy designed to ensure patients are better heard by the NHS. Published on 15 April 2026, the plan introduces a trial where women’s feedback could directly impact provider funding. The Department of Health and Social Care aims to use this mechanism to hold services accountable and end the historical dismissal of women’s symptoms.
A major focus of the reform is the streamlining of gynaecological care to reduce significant waiting lists. Currently, over 565,000 women are waiting for such care, and diagnosis for conditions like endometriosis can take nearly a decade. For women from diverse ethnic communities, this average wait can rise to 11 years. To address this, the government is introducing single referral points and expanding community diagnostic centres for blood tests and MRIs.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “We inherited a broken NHS, which was particularly felt by women, who have for so long been let down by a healthcare system that too often gaslights women, treating their pain as an inconvenience and their symptoms as an overreaction. Whether it’s being passed from one appointment to another for conditions like endometriosis and fibroids, or a lack of proper pain relief during invasive procedures, through to having to navigate symptoms for years before receiving a diagnosis, it’s clear the system is failing women. Women’s voices must be central to delivering effective, respectful and empathetic care. We need to hit medical misogyny where it hurts – the wallet. Today’s renewed strategy will tackle the issues women face every day and ensure no woman is left fighting to be heard.”
The strategy also includes a new standard for pain relief during invasive procedures like coil fittings. Funding has been allocated for various initiatives, including a £1 million programme for menstrual education and a £1.5 million Femtech challenge fund. Furthermore, the standard NHS Health Check for those aged 40 to 74 will now include questions regarding menopause.
Dame Lesley Regan, Women’s Health Ambassador, said: “This renewal of the women’s health strategy for England is the next exciting step in our journey to close the gender health gap, not just between men and women, but also among and within those women experiencing the worst inequalities. It is an opportunity to embed the voices of girls and women at the heart of the design and delivery of their healthcare, by including the conditions unique to women, those that affect them disproportionately and the conditions that present differently. We have made progress removing some of the barriers that women face across their life course, but this refresh is our chance to travel further and faster.”
