Did you know the statistics show women spend more of their life in poor health than men?

Of course, a statistic alone never tells the whole story but it's a noteworthy indicator of an unseen issue: healthcare isn't equal for all. Gender is one divide but there's also ethnicity, social background, geographical location and more. As the minister for women's health has said, there are deep-rooted, systemic issues within the health and care system, the same in other systems and parts of society. Listening to people's experiences and education is key.

The Government has published the first women's health strategy for England to tackle the gender health gap. The strategy includes key commitments around:

• new research and data gathering;
• the expansion of women’s health-focused education and training for incoming doctors;
• improvements to fertility services;
• ensuring women have access to high-quality health information; and
• updating guidance for female-specific health conditions, such as endometriosis, to ensure the latest evidence and advice is being used in treatment.

The impact of the inequality is far-reaching and can be devastating. One look at the articles on our website shows how the gender health gap can result in clinical negligence, be that birth and baby injury, babies when a doctor doesn't listen to the mother's concerns, delayed diagnosis of breast cancer, substandard cosmetic surgery, failing to have the necessary and straightforward conversation with women about the risks of sodium valproate in pregnancy or failing to properly inform women about the potential risks and benefits of vaginal mesh. 

A specific strategy aim relates to specialist endometriosis services. Estimates vary but the number of women affected by endometriosis is in the region of 1 in 10. Many of whom suffer with the symptoms for years before diagnosis, dismissed with the 'it's women's issues' attitude. 

Another example is disparities in outcomes and experiences of care for women and babies for women from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas. The 'Maternity Disparities Taskforce' has been established to tackle this.

If you have been affected by the various ways in which the gender health gap can result in clinical negligence and harm, please feel free to get in touch to discuss how we could help.