Women’s Health Strategy

Debate between Baroness Sugg and Baroness Merron

Tuesday 16th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Sugg]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve women’s healthcare as part of their renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care (Baroness Merron) (Lab)]

My Lords, this Government are committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the NHS and have been clear that women’s health will never be neglected again. The renewed women’s health strategy will reflect on delivery since 2022, address gaps and go further on totemic issues, including health inequalities and women not feeling listened to, particularly when experiencing pain. The strategy will set this out in the context of the 10-year health plan.

[Baroness Sugg (Con)]

I thank the noble Baroness for that answer and for her championing of women’s health in her role. She will know that women’s health hubs have been shown to be successful in reducing gynaecological waiting lists and speeding up women’s access to care, and were highlighted as a real success in the 10-year plan. The Minister is a strong supporter of the hubs, but, while most areas now have some form of provision, the rollout has been patchy, meaning that not all women can access their services. Given the removal of the mandatory requirement for ICBs to establish hubs, what steps are the Government taking to ensure that the women’s health strategy maintains a clear commitment to the long-term sustainability of women’s health hubs as part of their improved neighbourhood health services?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I very much share the noble Baroness’s assessment of the value of women’s health hubs. She will know that I have taken a considerable personal interest in this. The target to establish a women’s health hub in every ICB was the purpose of a time-limited pilot established by the last Government, and that target was met. Women’s health hubs are absolutely effective when it comes to improving access to and experiences of care for women. I have promoted them as the best example of community-based and joined-up healthcare. That is why, as the noble Baroness will have seen in the 10-year health plan, the women’s health hub in Tower Hamlets was specifically highlighted as a best-practice example of neighbourhood health, and we continue to support ICBs to improve their delivery of women’s health hubs.

Telemedical Abortions

Debate between Baroness Sugg and Baroness Merron

Wednesday 12th November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

My Lords, the evidence base for telemedical abortion is sound. It has been thoroughly evaluated and it is recommended as safe by the World Health Organization, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and NICE’s evidence-based guidelines. There are no plans to do what the noble Baroness has requested, and I have to say that I do not recognise the statistics she raised, although I would be interested to hear more about them. But I assure your Lordships’ House that telemedical abortion is and must be carried out in line with clinical guidelines published by the royal college.

[Baroness Sugg (Con)]

Can the Minister confirm that the changes voted in to the Crime and Policing Bill in the Commons do not extend the provision of telemedicine, and that the 10-week limit remains? The introduction of telemedicine has meant that 40% of abortions now occur at less than six weeks’ gestation, in comparison to 25% previously. Does the Minister agree that the earlier that women can access abortion, the better it is for their health and well-being?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I certainly can confirm that the changes voted into that Bill involve no change to the provision of telemedicine. To the noble Baroness’s other point, we would need to review the data, including the available data in respect of her question about health and well-being, on which I would be pleased to write to her further.

NHS England Update

Debate between Baroness Sugg and Baroness Merron

Wednesday 19th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

That will be declared in due course, once the work has been completed.

[Baroness Sugg (Con)]

My Lords, I spent yesterday morning at the women’s health department in Mile End hospital—I know the Minister is a great champion, and I highly recommend a visit. What will the NHS England update mean for the women’s health strategy, and, specifically, for NHS England’s commitment to eliminating cervical cancer by 2040?

Women’s Health Strategy

Debate between Baroness Sugg and Baroness Merron

Tuesday 4th February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

We are not closing women’s health hubs—it is important to put that on record. I have already said how successful the pilot has been; it therefore does not require a further target. I hope that noble Lords have seen that the changes to the planning guidance move away from the old centralised operating model to give more control and direction locally. As I said, the decision not to mandate women’s health hubs reflects a new approach to the guidance: fewer national directives and more empowerment of local leaders. Women’s health hubs are also described in the elective reform plan, which is one example of another area where their importance is recognised and boosted.

[Baroness Sugg (Con)]

My Lords, the Minister will know that women’s health hubs are vital in reducing gynaecological waiting lists. We have seen that through their success in areas such as Birmingham, Tower Hamlets and Liverpool. I hear what the Minister has been saying, but there is strong concern from the sector that many of the existing hubs are in their infancy or are not yet operational. They will not progress unless there is operational guidance for the NHS or formal commitment to them from the Government. With their removal from the planning guidance, what actions is the Minister taking to ensure that every ICB has a women’s hub? Given what she said about local decision-making, what steps are being taken to make sure that we learn from the success of the highest-performing hubs and share it with others?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

We continue to learn from the best. I am committed to speaking with the leadership of ICBs about the importance of women’s health hubs, not least because it is about improving women’s healthcare. Having visited a women’s health hub myself, I can testify to the points that the noble Baronesses have made. However, I gently repeat that we need to look not just in the planning guidance but in the elective reform plan, which states about the NHS that:

“In gynaecology we will support … innovative models offering patients care closer to home”.


That is exemplified by the women’s health hub. The Neighbourhood Health Guidelines, published just last week, include women’s health hubs as an example of a neighbourhood health model.

HIV Care: Access

Debate between Baroness Sugg and Baroness Merron

Wednesday 11th September 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

Yes, we will be looking at all the work currently going on and at the successes—and there are many. I believe that my noble friend is referring to Fast-Track Cities, an international initiative involving cities tackling HIV through a multidisciplinary, multi- sectoral approach. There are 13 signatory cities in the UK, and all are beacons of good practice that we must learn from, including in order to find out what is not working. I also want to emphasise peer support, which has been shown to reduce self-stigma, but also to improve engagement in care and the taking of treatment, and to having low levels of virus. This area will obviously very much feature in the new strategy.

[Baroness Sugg (Con)]

My Lords, looking at HIV internationally, the UK has long been a proud supporter of the Global Fund. In 2022 alone the Global Fund reached over 15 million people with HIV prevention services, including 710,000 HIV-positive mothers, who received medication to keep themselves alive and to prevent transmission of HIV to their babies. Will the Government commit to continuing to support the Global Fund?

Black, Asian and Minority-Ethnic Women: Maternal Mortality Rates

Debate between Baroness Sugg and Baroness Merron

Monday 29th July 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble Baroness is quite right to draw the House’s attention to the important matter of sickle cell. We look to specialist midwives to assist us in this. I have been asked for a particular assurance and it is correct that the noble Baroness seeks that. I shall be pleased to look into it to be able to come back to her in much greater detail.

[Baroness Sugg (Con)]

My Lords, the previous Government introduced the first ever UK women’s health ambassador, who can help to co-ordinate the complex changes that are needed to reduce the mortality rate for black, Asian and minority-ethnic women and their babies. Can the Minister commit to continuing to support the ambassador’s work?