Vital Signs: Women's health & gynaecology

Briefing · Parliament

MPs and peers press for faster gynaecology care, workplace protection and redress for mesh and valproate harm

1. 01In the Westminster Hall debate on 3 November, Tulip Siddiq (Labour) opened on adding gynaecological conditions to Equality Act 2010 guidance, and members from Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens described constituents' experiences. Sureena Brackenridge said clearer guidance would help employers understand conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids and menopause, and Helen Maguire asked whether the Act should protect gynaecological conditions as it protects pregnancy. For the Government, Satvir Kaur said ministers recognise the pain women face and pointed to Mariella Frostrup's appointment as women's employment ambassador.
2. 02In the same debate, Jim Shannon (DUP) and Imogen Walker (Labour) argued that workplace protection depends on treatment being available. Shannon described women in Strangford on long waiting lists and travelling for surgery. Walker said NHS Lanarkshire excluded gynaecology from its plan to end two-year waits, and put the average endometriosis wait at nine years and four months in England and 10 years and two months in Scotland.
3. 03Waiting times and diagnosis ran through several other debates. On 9 November in the Lords, Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrat) asked the Government to back a one-year diagnosis target by 2030 and to publish national data. Baroness Merron (Labour) replied with over £4.3 million of research funding, patient-reported measures in gynaecology and patient power payments linked to women's feedback. In the Health Bill debate on 13 October, Baroness Sugg (Conservative) said progress on the strategy's 117 actions appears limited and cited more than 585,000 women waiting.
4. 04Menopause and HRT were raised in both Houses. In the Lords on 22 October, Baroness Merron said three of 70 HRT products were affected by shortages and alternatives were available. Baroness Hussein-Ece (Liberal Democrat) raised variation in GP advice, Baroness Griffin of Princethorpe (Labour) said women in less deprived areas are twice as likely to be prescribed HRT, and Baroness Bousted (Labour) asked whether supply would be less disrupted if men needed HRT. In the Commons on 11 November, Carolyn Harris (Labour) asked how menopause action plans would be monitored, and Bridget Phillipson said big employers will have to produce them.
5. 05Members repeatedly pressed the Government on redress for pelvic mesh and sodium valproate harm. Sir Julian Lewis (Conservative, 15 October), Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat, 20 October), Sharon Hodgson (Labour, 8 September) and Anna Dixon (Labour, 15 September) all raised the Hughes report. On 29 October, Dame Diana Johnson said the Government was determined to respond to it with urgency and compassion.