News
Dame Lesley Regan vows to ‘revamp’ UK’s Women’s Health Strategy – “we’ve let women and girls down”
The Women’s Health Ambassador for England, Dame Lesley Regan, has promised to overhaul the government’s 10-year strategy, as she revealed the scale and cost of the UK’s gender health gap three years on.
Speaking at Women’s Health Week in London earlier this month, Regan revealed that Health Secretary Wes Streeting has tasked her with “revamping” the government’s Women’s Health Strategy, following the publication of his 10-year plan to reform the NHS.
Promising to “rise to the challenge”, Regan also hinted at plans to streamline pathways for innovators, to fast-track solutions into the NHS, and said that the system must stop “admiring the problem” and start redesigning care around women’s lives.
“We are the only country I know in the world with a national health service free at the point of delivery,” said Regan, during her closing keynote speech on Thursday 16 October.
“Yet we’ve got so complacent about the important things in women’s health that we’ve really let girls and women down.”
Major health challenges for women
A Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Imperial College London, Regan painted a stark picture of the state of women’s health in 2025.
As well as huge gaps in care for women and girls experiencing menstrual symptoms such as PMS and menopause, women face a raft of wider health challenges.
Contraception has become increasingly difficult to access, resulting in almost half of all pregnancies being unplanned, and as well as having the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe, abortion rates are also rising among women over 32.
Meanwhile, cervical screening uptake is at an all-time low, with marginalised women at greatest risk despite cervical cancer being preventable with HPV vaccination and smear tests.
The number of high-profile maternity scandals in recent years reflects a flawed system, where the annual amount spent on litigation costs by NHS Resolution exceeds the allocated total funding for maternity care.
Maternal mortality is three times higher in Black women and twice as high in Asian women, with suicide now a leading cause of direct maternal death, one in four among teenage girls.
According to Regan, many of those are known to mental health services.
“In the last maternal mortality report, every single woman who died was known to mental health services,” she said.
“I have to conclude that we let them down.”
Regan also highlighted gender disparities and inequalities in chronic health conditions, which often go undetected or misdiagnosed in women.
Conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, for example, present differently in females, who are twice as likely to be diagnosed with dementia.
And while women are twice as likely to die from cardiovascular disease as from cancer (52 per cent deaths annually), they are often diagnosed later than men, due to a lack of understanding of their symptoms.
Major causes of morbidity and mortality, frailty and osteoporosis, also disproportionately affect women.
More than a fifth of females (21 per cent) are affected, compared to six per cent of men, with women typically experiencing twice as many fractures.
There are vast geographical inequalities, too.
Every year, 500,000 fragility fractures occur throughout the UK, but less than 53 per cent of the population can access Fracture Liaison Services in the community, with quality and standards varying significantly.
“Until very recently, most politicians across the globe viewed women’s health as maternity,” said Regan.
“But women spend most of their lives post-reproductive, and we have never really catered for that… We’ve got to look after women’s health across their life course.”
Delivering on women’s health hubs
The Women’s Health Strategy, first published in 2022, was shaped by the largest ever call for evidence in a Department of Health consultation, gathering a total of 100,000 responses. Out of these, 84 per cent of women reported not being listened to by healthcare professionals.
In response, the strategy set out a six-point plan which promised to address these inequalities, including through the establishment of women’s health hubs.
Regan believes hubs are crucial for delivering on the promises of the 10-year plan, including shifting from hospital to community care, moving from analogue to digital, and pivoting from treatment to prevention.
Successful case studies from hubs in some of the most deprived areas of England have demonstrated early benefits of these hubs, including reduced secondary-care referrals, shorter waiting lists, improved access and equity, workforce retention, more specialised training, and fewer adverse outcomes.
But not all Integrated Care Boards across England are offering all core services.
Delivering more Women’s Health hubs is part of a five-point plan moving forward, according to Regan, which also includes improving maternity and menstrual care, tackling inequalities and funding more research.
“We’ve continued to admire the problem, but that’s what we’ve got to stop,” Regan said.
“The most important thing to be able to do things better is that you have to be willing to do it differently.”
A “front door” for change
Building on this, Regan expressed her “frustration” at some of the challenges faced by startups trying to bring solutions to market, hinting at plans for a hub or a “big front door” to streamline regulatory approval processes.
“Almost every time I talk to entrepreneurs or investors, they tell me the same story: ‘We’ve been knocking on the door of government, and we always get pushback’,” she said.
“I want to paint that door bright yellow so you’ll never miss it, and when it opens, I want people to be welcoming. We need to stop sending people off to navigate endless pathways. There should be a hub that sorts it.”
Benefit to the UK economy
There’s a strong economic argument for the UK government to deliver on these promises.
Global life expectancy is increasing, and while women typically live longer than men, they spend more of their lives in poor health.
A woman will experience ill health for an average of nine years throughout her life, impacting her ability to be present and/or productive at home, in the workforce, and in the community.
Regan shared analysis from McKinsey Health Institute, which shows that more than half of the women’s health gap affects women during their working-age years, significantly impacting the UK’s GDP.
At least 56 per cent of Disability-Adjusted Life Years stem from conditions which impact women differently or disproportionately.
Taking this into account, closing the gender health gap in the UK could generate more than £36bn in annual GDP by 2040, a figure that could exceed $1 trillion globally.
A 2024 report published by the NHS Confederation estimates that the economic cost of absenteeism due to severe period pain and heavy periods, alongside endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts, is nearly £11 billion per year, while 60,000 women are thought to be unemployed due to menopause symptoms.
The findings suggest that for every additional £1 invested in obstetrics and gynaecology per woman in England, the return on investment is estimated at £11.
Dutch collaboration
Regan has now been invited to the Netherlands to help officials there develop their own Women’s Health Strategy.
In conversation with Dutch Minister Judith Tielen, Regan highlighted the need for international collaboration to accelerate wider global change when it comes to women’s health.
The Netherlands is already collaborating across ministerial department’s including employment and social security, with education next.
Tielen shared the outcomes from an initiative at Amsterdam University Medical Centre, which offered free gynaecology consultations to female staff to reduce sick leave.
“Hundreds of women signed up in days, and sickness absence dropped significantly,” she said.
“It’s a societal question, not one for women to solve alone.”
Regan agreed, adding: “We cannot afford for women not to be part of the solution.”
We are thrilled to announce the shortlist for the Menstrual Health Innovation Award at the third annual FemTech World Awards.
This award, sponsored by Premom exists to celebrate the trailblazers redefining what menstrual health means in the modern world.
It recognises breakthrough products, services, and initiatives that are pushing boundaries in technology, product design, education, accessibility, and destigmatisation.
Premom’s innovative ovulation prediction app combines a digital ovulation test reader, intelligent fertility charting, and customised cycle insights to simplify the path to motherhood.
Sister company easy@Home was the first brand in the USA to offer personalised testing solutions and devices, and has become the largest volume seller of ovulation tests in the country.
Premom’s sponsorship of this award reflects a shared commitment to empowering women with better tools, better knowledge and better outcomes across every stage of their reproductive health journey.
This year’s shortlist is a testament to the remarkable breadth of innovation happening across the femtech landscape, from wearable bioelectronics to mission-driven apps reaching underserved communities across the globe.
Congratulations to the finalist and thank you to everyone who nominated.
Menstrual Health Innovation Shortlist
Founded by healthcare designer Kateřina Rydlová, who wanted to manage her own period pain without relying on medication, Body Moody has developed a discreet, wearable heated bodysuit that delivers targeted warmth to the abdomen and back – quietly, under everyday clothing.
Made from soft viscose, controlled via a companion app, and built for 200+ washes and over five years of use, the bodysuit is as practical as it is pioneering.
Their borrow-then-buy model lowers the barrier to entry and early customer feedback speaks for itself, with users reporting that they have gone from averaging multiple painkillers per cycle to needing none at all.
Eshe is a women’s health ecosystem built for a part of the world that femtech has long overlooked.
Rooted in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 69 per cent of global maternal deaths occur, 65 per cent of women and girls in Kenya cannot afford sanitary pads, and over 60 per cent of women lack access to preventive healthcare, Eshe was created to meet women where they are.
The Eshe app offers daily menstrual cycle and fertility tracking, pregnancy monitoring, mental wellbeing check-ins, in-app consultations with qualified doctors, and health education content, all in one place.
By identifying irregular cycles, missed periods and mental health changes, the platform nudges users toward timely action rather than emergency intervention.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects almost one in five women, making it the leading cause of infertility and a significant risk factor for conditions spanning obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and cognitive decline.
Despite this staggering burden, there has not been a new treatment option in seven decades – until now.
LoOoP is a bioelectronic device paired with the MyLoOoP companion app, designed to address both the metabolic and menstrual symptoms of PCOS with the ultimate ambition of avoiding, delaying, or reducing its long-term complications.
The MyLoOoP digital platform goes further still, combining evidence-backed content, clinically validated journaling tools, a validated phenotyping algorithm, and an inclusive community – closing the persistent gaps in PCOS diagnosis, information and care.
What happens next
The shortlist will be judge by a Premom representative who will announce the winner at a virtual event on June 19.
The winner will receive a trophy and be interviewed by a Femtech World journalist.
Mental health
Dr-Julian helps deliver breakthrough mental health support for Black and ethnically minoritised mothers
A groundbreaking digital perinatal mental health pilot for Black and ethnically minoritised women has helped women access support faster, complete therapy at higher rates, and recover more successfully than national averages.
The partnership between digital tech company Dr-Julian and The Essential Baby Company Ltd within a new model of mental health care named haPPIE SHE Cares – who offer personalised support for women sharing their healthcare experiences, showed results well above NHS benchmarks for Black and ethnically minoritised women.
The pilot was created to help women who are less likely to use traditional mental health services during pregnancy and in the first year after giving birth.
By combining trusted community referrals, culturally aware support, and fast access to therapy through Dr-Julian’s online and virtual care platform, the programme delivered standout results.
Every woman who joined the pilot started therapy, 90 per cent completed treatment, and 74 per cent recovered; well above the NHS benchmark of around 52 per cent.
Women referred through community organisations accessed support in just one day on average, compared with around 21 days through many standard services.
Even the programme’s regular referral route reduced waits to 13 days.
The findings come as NHS leaders continue to focus on maternity inequalities and unequal access to mental health care.
Black and ethnically minoritised women can face barriers including stigma, language needs, lack of trust in services, childcare pressures, and difficulty navigating complex systems.
The haPPIE SHE Cares model was designed to break down those barriers by working with trusted community groups, offering culturally informed support, and where possible matching women with therapists who understood their background or language.
Gemma Poole for The Essential Baby Company said: “Too many women who need help feel unseen, unheard or unable to get support when they need it most.
“This project shows that when services are built around trust, culture and community, women engage, recover and thrive.
“This early success could provide a blueprint for reducing inequalities in maternal mental health care across the UK. Behind every statistic is a mother who felt supported, a family that benefited and a woman who found her voice.
“Mental healthcare must work for every community. This partnership shows that when high-quality therapy is combined with culturally responsive support, outcomes improve and women get help faster.
We are proud to have provided the therapists, virtual care systems and digital pathways behind this programme. We believe this model could help NHS organisations nationwide cut waiting times and improve recovery rates.”
Women who took part described the programme as life-changing, saying it reduced isolation, gave them confidence speaking with healthcare professionals, and made them more willing to seek help.
With growing pressure on maternity and mental health services, leaders behind the project say the pilot offers a practical solution that improves care while helping cut long waiting lists.
Plans are now being explored to expand the model through training, regional partnerships, and future funding.
Only one per cent of women can name all five gynaecological cancers, new research suggests, as 21 women in the UK die every day of the diseases.
The report also found that 31 per cent of women have put off or avoided seeking medical advice for gynaecological symptoms.
It also found that 43 per cent of women invited for cervical screening said barriers had put them off attending, while 18 per cent of respondents aged 25 to 34 who had been invited had never attended.
The five main gynaecological cancers are womb, also called uterine, ovarian, cervical, vulval and vaginal cancer.
The Lady Garden Foundation said that, while progress has been made since the UK government’s 2022 Women’s Health Strategy aimed to improve gynaecological cancer care, significant challenges remain.
John Butler, medical director and trustee at the Lady Garden Foundation, said: “The fact that only one per cent of the population can name the diseases that directly affect half of us underscores a significant awareness gap, impacting individuals’ ability to recognise vital signs and symptoms or seek timely medical help.
“Addressing this isn’t just about awareness; it’s a critical public health priority. Our collective efforts are essential to ensure the latest commitments announced by this government translate into tangible change that saves lives.”
The report said key reasons for delaying medical advice included difficulty making appointments, embarrassment and, for cervical screening, fear of pain or previous bad experiences.
Women also reported challenges within healthcare interactions, including feeling “not taken seriously”, “dismissed” or “not believed” when seeking gynaecological advice.
Jenny Halpern Prince, chief executive and charity co-founder, said: “We frequently hear reports of women feeling ‘not taken seriously,’ ‘dismissed,’ or ‘not believed’ when seeking gynaecological advice.
“These experiences highlight crucial areas where we can improve patient support and trust within our healthcare system, ensuring women receive the empathetic and effective care they need.”
The Lady Garden Foundation said it aims to increase awareness of both the charity and the five gynaecological cancers.
It also aims to serve as a primary entry point for reliable, stigma-free information, helping people understand their bodies, recognise symptoms and overcome barriers to accessing care.
Its Silent No More Garden was unveiled at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026. Designed by Darren Hawkes, the garden serves as a national call to action, using five sculptures to spark conversations, break long-standing taboos and encourage open dialogue about symptoms and preventative care.
Butler said: “Continued focus and collaborative action are essential to progress.
“The ongoing commitment from the government, alongside societal efforts to break down taboos surrounding gynaecological health, are crucial.
“The Lady Garden Foundation is dedicated to being a beacon of information and support, empowering women with the knowledge they need. We urge everyone to learn the signs, speak up, and help us save lives.”
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