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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.”
Pregnant women’s expectations about postpartum sleep may predict sleep quality after birth, outweighing prior sleep and psychiatric history, a study suggests.
The findings suggest attitudes and beliefs about sleep during pregnancy could be a modifiable risk factor for postpartum sleep concerns.
They also indicate that, among women expecting the poorest sleep, higher postpartum anxiety may further worsen sleep quality.
Sammy Dhaliwal, lead author is clinical health psychologist and research fellow in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dhaliwal said: “Most pregnant women in our sample anticipated poor postpartum sleep before it occurred, and it was striking that those expectations predicted worse sleep outcomes even after accounting for factors such as prior sleep disorders, psychiatric history, and number of previous births.
“This suggests that attitudes and beliefs about sleep during pregnancy may represent a modifiable target for early intervention before postpartum sleep problems emerge.”
Sleep disturbance affects an estimated 60 to 80 per cent of postpartum women and is linked to a higher risk of depression and anxiety.
Researchers said it is often regarded as an expected part of life after childbirth rather than a health issue that may be addressed earlier.
The study enrolled 432 pregnant women at about 24 weeks of gestation, meaning around 24 weeks into pregnancy.
Participants completed measures of their expectations about postpartum sleep, current sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and mood using validated depression and anxiety scales.
Assessments were repeated at six, 12 and 24 weeks postpartum.
A subset of 49 women also wore wrist actigraphy devices at six to eight weeks postpartum.
Actigraphy uses a wearable device, similar to a watch, to estimate sleep and wake patterns based on movement.
The results showed that 70 per cent of pregnant women, or 301 of 432 participants, expected poor sleep in the postpartum period.
Researchers found that predicted sleep disruption during pregnancy was a significant predictor of postpartum sleep concerns.
Among first-time pregnant women without prior health concerns, those who expected greater sleep disturbance had significantly more disrupted sleep after birth, measured by both actigraphy and self-report.
Among women who expected the worst sleep quality, higher postpartum anxiety significantly worsened both measured sleep and self-reported sleep, independent of anxiety levels during pregnancy.
Dhaliwal said the findings point to two possible areas for intervention: addressing sleep-related beliefs during pregnancy and treating postpartum anxiety.
Dhaliwal said: “Postpartum sleep disruption is often treated only after problems develop, but our findings suggest there may be an opportunity to intervene earlier during pregnancy.
“Addressing sleep-related beliefs and postpartum anxiety during prenatal and postpartum care may help improve sleep and emotional well-being in new mothers.”
A weight loss jab may improve fertility outcomes in women with PMOS, early findings from an ongoing clinical trial suggest.
The proof-of-concept analysis found that injectable semaglutide may offer reproductive benefits while also addressing obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
It is the first report to examine how injectable semaglutide may improve reproductive outcomes in women with PMOS while also addressing obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
The work forms part of the ongoing RESTORE clinical trial.
Melanie Cree, professor at CU Anschutz and first author of the report, said: “Women with PMOS frequently face a frustrating choice between treatments that target reproductive symptoms and those that address metabolic health.
“Our early findings suggest injectable semaglutide may have the potential to improve both, offering a more comprehensive approach to care.
“This medication is incredibly promising when someone responds with 10 per cent weight loss.”
The trial is examining whether semaglutide can restore ovulation and improve reproductive health in adolescents and adults with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, known as PMOS.
PMOS, formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS, is a hormone and metabolic condition linked to irregular periods, raised testosterone levels, infertility risk, obesity and increased cardiometabolic disease.
Cardiometabolic disease refers to conditions linked to the heart and metabolism, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
Existing treatments, including metformin and hormonal contraceptives, often do not fully address reproductive and metabolic complications at the same time.
The analysis focused on participants aged 12 to 35 who lost at least 10 per cent of their body weight during treatment.
Researchers said reproductive improvements appeared earlier than expected, prompting them to report preliminary findings while the wider study continues.
Cree is also a paediatric endocrinologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Endocrinologists are doctors who specialise in hormones and hormone-related conditions.
Cree said: “What makes this work particularly important is that it focuses specifically on women with PMOS receiving injectable semaglutide.
“Although GLP-1 medications have transformed obesity treatment, there remains a significant need for rigorous data examining how these therapies affect fertility and reproductive function in this population.”
The RESTORE study is evaluating semaglutide treatment in girls and women with PMOS and obesity.
Its broader aim is to determine whether weight loss and metabolic improvements can restore ovulation and improve reproductive outcomes.
Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovary, a key part of the menstrual cycle and fertility.
The authors said the findings are from an early proof-of-concept analysis and that larger, longer-term studies will be needed to confirm whether the reproductive benefits last.
The findings suggest injectable semaglutide may become a treatment option for women with PMOS seeking improvements in both metabolic and reproductive health, if future studies confirm the results.
Entrepreneur
Women’s Health Week Europe 2026 opens pitch applications for mainstage showcase at The Emirates Stadium
Women’s Health Week Europe 2026 has opened applications for its flagship start-up Pitches, giving women’s health innovators the chance to present on the mainstage at The Emirates Stadium in London on 7-8 October.
16 finalists will be selected across two categories: Medical Devices & Therapeutics and Consumer & Tech, with the shortlisted companies receiving the opportunity to pitch in front of 700+ investors, corporates, other innovators and strategic partners actively seeking solutions that can scale.
Two categories, one stage
The Medical Devices & Therapeutics category is open to companies working across medical devices, therapeutics and pharma innovation, regulated digital health, and deep-tech or science-led platforms.
The Consumer & Tech category covers consumer health and wellness brands, digital health platforms, wearables and connected data, employer and payor-led solutions, and commerce and marketplace businesses.
Any company treating a condition that affects women exclusively, differently, or disproportionately is eligible to apply.
Applications are completely free, so what do you have to lose?
Apply to pitch at WHW Europe 2026 now.
What’s in it for you?
Unmatched exposure
Present in front of 700+ investors, corporates, clinicians, and strategic partners actively seeking solutions that can scale.
With WHW Europe 2026 relocating to The Emirates Stadium and expanding to 700+ attendees across two stages, the 2026 edition represents the largest platform the series has offered to date.
A proven platform
The WHW Pitch Sessions have become one of the most commercially significant showcases in women’s health, with previous cohorts including companies that have gone on to raise investment and secure major strategic partnerships. 2024 alumni BoobyBiome, closed a £2.5M seed round in the year following their pitch at WHW Europe.
The Watchlist
All registered applicants will have the opportunity to be featured in The Watchlist, WHW Europe’s official directory of women’s health innovators to know, giving companies visibility beyond the pitch stage itself.
Applications close 28 August 2026.
Find out more about WHW Europe.
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