Oral Answers to Questions

Allison Gardner Excerpts

Tuesday 20th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Dame Diana Johnson]

I am very sorry to hear about Ruth’s experience and what she has gone through. Just last night, I watched the film that has been produced about the experience of a number of women—my hon. Friend the Member for Washington and Gateshead South (Mrs Hodgson) provided a screening of it in Parliament last week—and the stories in it are harrowing. As I have said, I am looking at the issue. I am conscious that right hon. and hon. Members are interested in what the Government are going to do. The previous Secretary of State had made it clear that progress would be made by the end of this Parliament. That is as far as I can go today, but I am personally looking at this issue.

[Dr Allison Gardner (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Lab)]

From pelvic mesh to diethylstilbestrol, women have been harmed by a health system that has not and still does not listen to them, as starkly illustrated in Mumsnet’s recent report, “Medical Misogyny: A Lifetime of Failure”. Does the Minister agree that tackling medical misogyny must be at the heart of how we rebuild the NHS?

[Dame Diana Johnson]

My hon. Friend makes a very important point. That is why we have revised the women’s health strategy. It makes it very clear that medical misogyny is not acceptable and that women’s voices must be heard.