Government announces Women’s Health Strategy to be renewed

Source: DHSC, 23 October 2025

The UK government is renewing its Women’s Health Strategy to tackle healthcare inequalities and improve access for women across England. This updated approach, part of the 10 Year Health Plan, aims to address long-standing barriers and ensure more compassionate, personalised care. A key development includes adding menopause-related questions to NHS Health Checks, supporting millions of women more effectively. Health Secretary Wes Streeting emphasised the need for a system that listens to women’s experiences, citing issues like delayed diagnoses, inadequate pain relief, and long gynaecology waiting lists. The strategy will be shaped by feedback from the largest-ever NHS consultation and will outline concrete actions to remove access barriers. Immediate improvements already underway include reduced gynaecology waiting times, the introduction of Jess’s Rule for earlier diagnoses, free emergency contraception at pharmacies, and a plan to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. These efforts form part of the government’s broader mission to build a future-ready NHS.