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NHS must “keep pace” with femtech innovations to tackle gender health gap
As women increasingly turn to technology to plug the gender health gap, NHS leaders have highlighted the importance of “keeping pace” with innovation in the femtech sector.
Earlier this month, the Women and Equalities Select Committee continued an ongoing inquiry into women’s reproductive health conditions which began under the previous Conservative government.
Samantha Niblett, Labour MP for South Derbyshire and founder of Labour Women in Tech, led a discussion on how the NHS can leverage femtech to improve treatment and care, highlighting the increasing prevalence of apps for women’s health, such as menstrual cycle tracking, birth control, fertility and pregnancy and menopause.
The number of UK femtech companies has grown considerably over the last decade, from just nine in 2013 to 58 in 2023, according to some figures —an increase of more than 500%. In 2021, over half of women aged between 18 and 24 reported using a women’s digital health platform at least once a month, a statistic which is likely to be significantly higher today.
Dr Sue Mann, NHS England’s first national clinical director for women’s health, told the committee that the public sector must “understand the [femtech] space better” to help people navigate it in a way which is helpful for their health.
“There is an explosion of femtech apps and I think that it’s our job to help people navigate through them,” she said.
But the NHS must focus on improving its own digital solutions too.
“We need to get better at producing our own digital information,” Mann added.
“We need to get out into the space to really understand that a little bit better.”
The need for innovation in women’s health
Women’s health and the inequalities women face in access to healthcare present a complex challenge for the public health sector, with women spending a significantly greater proportion of their lives in ill health and disability when compared with men. Last week the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists called for urgent government funding for women’s health and care in the UK, as research shows gynaecology waiting lists have doubled since 2020, with three quarters of a million women now waiting for treatment.
Following the publications of the Women’s Health Strategy for England, The Scottish Women’s Health Plan, and the Women’s Health in Wales discovery report, which have all outlined strong evidence of the need for a greater focus on women’s health, femtech companies have been encouraged to come forward and help address these challenges.
The UK’s Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare launched its funding call, Competition 25 in July 2024, offering selected femtech companies the opportunity to develop and roll out new technologies within the NHS.
The scheme is said to have received around 200 applications for early-stage innovators and breakthrough technologies to address three priority areas of Gynaecological Conditions and Hormonal Health, Mental Health and Chronic Conditions and Long-term Health.
Phase 1 contracts are set to begin in January 2025 for up to six months and will provide funding and support to carry out technical and commercial feasibility testing worth up to £100,000. If successful, these projects will be entitled to apply for a 12 month Phase 2 contract, worth up to £800,000 for prototype development and collection of early clinical evidence.
The committee also heard how as part of NHS England’s transformation directorate, work is ongoing to understand the femtech landscape, including what innovations are in the pipeline and where the gaps may be.
There are now 15 Health innovation networks across the UK, bringing together NHS, industry, academic, third sector and local organisations, with more than 1,200 technologies in the pipeline to address health and care challenges. The introduction of early value assessments has also enabled NICE to fast-track the assessment of digital products such as menopause apps, allowing for technologies that address unmet needs to be rolled out quicker.
Striking the right balance
However, the NHS must strike the right balance between supporting innovation, whilst maintaining objectivity and avoiding conflicts of interest.
Niblet highlighted a culture in the NHS of discouraging doctors and clinical experts from being “entrepreneurial”.
Meanwhile, there are some legitimate concerns about the intentions of companies in the femtech space. Period tracker apps, for example, have previously attracted attention from regulators in relation to their collection and use of intimate health data.
Dame Lesley Regan, women’s health ambassador for England and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Imperial College suggested that the NHS needs a system in place to “sort through” femtech companies and only commission those which are “altruistic” and “actually want to improve lives”.
But Mann cautioned against “putting off” innovators.
“There’s some amazing apps, and there’s some lower quality apps, and trying to keep pace with that is really difficult,” she added.
“It’s really important to be balanced and look at things objectively. To make sure that the decisions that get taken are purely on the basis of improving health and care information.”
Digital diagnostics company Medichecks has acquired specialist menopause health platform and clinic My Menopause Centre.
The deal is part of Medichecks’ move into clinical services and follows its earlier purchase of Leger Clinic, creating what the company describes as a hormone health offering for women and men across the UK.
Medichecks and My Menopause Centre will combine digital services with clinical governance. The acquisition aims to enhance Medichecks’ ability to deliver integrated testing, diagnosis and ongoing clinical support.
The combined group plans to grow its specialist hormone health services, supporting patients across the UK with clinical care throughout different stages of their hormone health journey.
Helen Marsden, co-founder of Medichecks, said: “At Medichecks, our mission is to make healthcare more accessible, evidence-based and patient-centred.
“Helen and Clare have built an outstanding, clinically credible platform that is transforming menopause care for women across the UK.
“Medichecks now owns two CQC Outstanding-rated clinics, the only clinics in their respective sectors to achieve this rating, and we are deeply committed to delivering safe, compassionate and patient-centric care.
“We’re proud to continue the founders’ legacy while supporting the next stage of growth, ensuring more women can access high-quality menopause care when they need it most.”
The CQC, or Care Quality Commission, is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.
The acquisition supports Medichecks’ plans to make hormone healthcare more accessible by delivering integrated testing, diagnosis and ongoing clinical support for patients across the UK.
Helen Normoyle, co-founder and chief executive of My Menopause Centre, said: “We set out to build something resilient, clinically credible and scalable, not just fast.
“Our mission has always been to make menopause care compassionate, accessible and grounded in evidence. Medichecks shares that vision.
“Their digital platform, commitment to clinical excellence and patient-centred care make them the ideal partner to take My Menopause Centre into its next chapter.
“This milestone reflects not only a strong product, but a remarkable team and community.
“I’m deeply proud of what we’ve built and excited to see My Menopause Centre grow further under Medichecks’ leadership.”
Menopause specialist Dr Mary Claire Haver has been appointed as the first chief agewell officer at virtual care clinic Midi Health.
In the role, Dr Haver will work with Midi’s clinical team to develop the AgeWell platform, described as a proactive health model that integrates perimenopause and menopausal care with metabolic health, bone density, brain health and cardiovascular risk assessment.
The platform aims to provide preventative care targeting what the company describes as the primary drivers of female mortality and disability: heart disease, bone loss and cognitive decline.
Joanna Strober, chief executive and co-founder of Midi Health, said: “Longevity care has historically ignored women’s biology, especially during the critical windows of midlife and menopause.
“At Midi Health, we are committed to extending healthspan, not just lifespan, and making that care accessible to millions of women as a core pillar of their health.
“By collaborating with Dr Haver, we are ensuring women continue to have access to care designed for their bodies, their hormones, and their real lives.”
Dr Haver is board-certified in obstetrics and gynaecology, a Menopause Society certified practitioner, a certified culinary medicine specialist and an adjunct associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at The University of Texas Medical Branch.
After a career in academic medicine, Dr Haver founded The Pause Life, described as a science and education-based resource for women navigating perimenopause and the menopause transition.
Through her books, unPaused podcast and digital platform, she has provided education on midlife health.
Dr Mary Claire Haver said: “I have spent my career advocating for women to receive the science-backed, no-nonsense guidance they deserve.
“I chose to partner with Midi Health because they are the only platform with the scale and medical rigour to deliver the kind of care women deserve, regardless of their zip codes.
“Together, we are setting a new standard for proactive, preventative care that meaningfully extends both lifespan and healthspan for women.”
Women’s Health Week USA 2026 has unveiled its first populated agenda, anchored by an opening keynote from Kate Ryder, Founder and CEO of Maven Clinic, and featuring a cross-sector lineup shaping the next phase of scale in women’s health.
You can view the full agenda here.
Taking place May 13–14, 2026, at the New York Academy of Medicine, Women’s Health Week USA brings together the full women’s health ecosystem to focus on one central question: what does it take to move women’s health from innovation to institutional scale?
Kate Ryder will open Day 1 with a keynote drawing on her experience building Maven Clinic into the world’s largest virtual clinic for women’s and family health.
Under her leadership, Maven has partnered with employers and health plans to deliver care across fertility, maternity, postpartum, paediatrics, and menopause at scale.
Her perspective sets the tone for a program centered on commercialisation, partnership, and sustainable growth.
Beyond the opening keynote, the newly released agenda reflects the sector’s growing maturity.
Across two days, the program features 70+ speakers, with representation from leading organizations including the FDA, Planned Parenthood, CVS Health Ventures, Samsung Next, NIH, WHO, and Maven Clinic.
Sessions span investment and deal flow, clinical innovation, regulation, data and technology, and market expansion, alongside dedicated pitch sessions and curated 1:1 matchmaking designed to turn insight into action.
The agenda has been built to facilitate meaningful connections across the ecosystem, with partnerships positioned as the primary driver of scale.
As women’s health continues to attract institutional capital and global attention, Women’s Health Week USA 2026 offers a clear snapshot of where the market is heading, and who is shaping it.
The full agenda is now live, with additional speakers and partners to be announced in the coming months.
View the full programme here.
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