Policy & regulation

The UK government has launched a three-year partnership with Breast Cancer Now to improve breast cancer awareness and support for women during and after treatment.  The Department of Health and Social Care said it is the first partnership to help deliver its Renewed Women’s Health Strategy. Women will receive practical information on checking their breasts, [...]

Medical professionals are reporting pregnancy and newborn complications linked to extreme heat, according to a five-country survey. Nearly three-quarters of respondents, 73 per cent, said they had seen an increase in extreme heat causing medical complications for pregnant women. Some 76 per cent had seen complications affecting foetal or newborn health. Previous research has linked [...]

The Law Society of Scotland has launched a fertility law accreditation for solicitors working in fertility law and family creation. Developed following a 2023 law reform report on surrogacy and rising demand for fertility and family creation services, the accreditation requires solicitors to demonstrate a high level of expertise and experience.   The [...]

Breast cancer patients in Scotland face a postcode lottery that could limit access to two newly approved NHS treatments. The Scottish Medicines Consortium has approved Elacestrant and Capivasertib, which could be life-extending for some people with metastatic breast cancer. Eligibility depends on genetic testing to confirm gene mutations before treatment can be prescribed, but the [...]

 Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland has launched a three-year Women’s Health Plan setting out actions to improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment and support for women in Scotland. The 2026 to 2029 plan includes commitments on health information, prevention and early detection, professional training, peer support, post-diagnosis care, policy and research. It comes amid disparities affecting women [...]

The FDA has granted accelerated approval to AstraZeneca drug Etcamah for certain adults with advanced breast cancer carrying an ESR1 mutation. Etcamah, also known as camizestrant, was approved in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor, either abemaciclib, palbociclib or ribociclib. The treatment is for adults with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer when [...]

The Welsh Government has been urged to invest in breast cancer services after figures showed continuing delays in diagnosis and treatment. Breast Cancer Now said the target for 75 per cent of patients to be seen within 62 days of initial referral has been met only three times since the Suspected Cancer Pathway was introduced [...]

AstraZeneca’s breast cancer drug Etcamah has been approved in the EU as part of a combination treatment for advanced disease. The European Commission acted on a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, the Cambridge, England-based drug maker said. The decision followed positive results from the Serena-6 phase III [...]

Congress is being urged to invest US$20bn over 10 years to close the women’s health gap. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society for Women’s Health Research and the Women First Research Coalition have unveiled the National Strategy to Close the Women’s Health Gap. The framework calls for a coordinated national effort to [...]

Two endometriosis tests could cut years from diagnosis after NICE backed their temporary NHS use in England and Wales. EndoSure and Endotest have been recommended in draft guidance, with one able to provide results in 45 minutes. Endometriosis affects around one in 10 women of reproductive age. It occurs when tissue similar to the womb [...]