Health Services: Women

(asked on 15th July 2025) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to publish a women's health strategy.


Answered by
Karin Smyth Portrait
Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 23rd July 2025

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health. We are turning the commitments in the existing Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as: providing emergency hormonal contraception free of charge at pharmacies on the National Health Service from October 2025; setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan; and taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan.

Through our 10-Year Health Plan, we are delivering our commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected. The three shifts will improve the care women receive. Hospital to community will mean women can access convenient, coordinated care closer to home through Neighbourhood Health Centres, building on best practice examples such as Tower Hamlets women’s health hub. Analogue to digital will put more power and data in women’s hands, which will make it easier to get more personalised support, book appointments, and stay healthy. Treatment to prevention will mean faster and fairer access to life-saving prevention through human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling kits, and access to the HPV vaccine through community pharmacies.

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