Wales to establish women’s health hubs nationwide by 2026

By 2026, women’s health centers are slated for establishment throughout Wales, aiming to reduce the disparity in health outcomes between genders. This initiative forms a component of Wales’ inaugural women’s health strategy, which follows the introduction of comparable plans in England and Scotland by several years. The comprehensive 10-year blueprint outlines eight key areas for enhancing healthcare services for women and allocates £750,000 towards research. Furthermore, medical practitioners will be required to consistently inquire about menstrual health and menopause with female patients during consultations. According to the charity Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales, disparities in care had been raised by “countless women”. First Minister Eluned Morgan stated that “women’s symptoms, whatever their condition, will no longer be overlooked or dismissed”. Studies indicate that while women generally have a longer lifespan than men, they experience fewer years without disability, endure longer waits for pain management, and a significant number report their symptoms are “fobbed off”. The strategy underscored the necessity for increased research, data collection, innovation, and the inclusion of women who have historically been marginalized. It additionally advocated for consistent funding to implement the proposed initiatives, noting that decreased funding for GP practices has resulted in inconsistent service delivery. Dr Helen Munro, who serves as the national clinical lead for women’s health, commented: “As a clinician, I am acutely aware that services for women in Wales often fall short of what women require, need and deserve. Through the implementation of the plan we hope to reverse this.” Universities will also be invited to apply for financial support to establish a research center dedicated to women’s health. The report asserted that Wales avoids “the fragmentation and splintering of women’s healthcare that exists in other parts of the UK, which has been so damaging for women” – a statement for which no supporting evidence was provided. Dedicated women’s health hubs will be established within every health board region to aid in the diagnosis of menstrual health conditions. Concurrently, an assessment of the existing workforce’s capacity to provide these services and prompt diagnoses will be conducted by March 2026. Increased research efforts are planned, alongside the development of additional educational resources for all individuals, encompassing boys and men. Emma McFarland, one of the one in three women affected by heavy periods, stated that this condition has significantly impacted her life, despite tests failing to identify a cause. The 38-year-old resident of Rhoose in the Vale of Glamorgan remarked: “I’m lucky that my doctor in recent years has taken a big interest in finding out what’s wrong and has sent me for so many tests.” However, she noted that both she and her doctor were “jumping through hoops” to secure an appointment with a specialist, given that extensive waiting lists led to referral rejections. She further mentioned that a supportive employer was immensely beneficial due to her frequent need to change sanitary wear, though she typically uses multiple layers of protection since departing meetings is not always practical. Additional training will be offered concerning endometriosis, recognized as a chronic condition. This condition impacts 10% of women, yet females typically experience a 10-year wait for a diagnosis, suggesting the actual prevalence is probably greater. The strategy outlines an objective to finance a tertiary, or specialized, service in Wales. Presently, only two health boards offer such a service. Efforts will also be undertaken to determine the demand and available capacity within each health board. Emily Griffiths, 26, a resident of Carmarthenshire, has personally financed her medical treatment due to the scarcity of NHS specialists in Wales, which resulted in exceptionally long waiting periods. She stated: “It can’t be down to the patient to continuously research their own healthcare needs, fund their own health care privately or even travel to other parts of the UK to receive specialist care. “Women in Wales have been let down for many years now, through dismissal and the lack of specialist centres, there needs to be effective treatments or surgical options that don’t require waiting years for.” The strategy advocates for an increase in trustworthy online resources regarding contraceptive options and abortion. It further points out regional disparities in access to long-acting reversible contraception and intends to broaden the training for community pharmacies to dispense oral contraceptives. Additionally, there are long-range proposals to finance intricate and mid-trimester abortion services. Every health board will develop a strategy aimed at assisting individuals with conception, considering risks including epilepsy, mental health conditions, type 2 diabetes, substance misuse, alcohol-related services, and rare diseases. Over 60% of women in the UK experience at least one indicator of suboptimal pelvic floor health. Pelvic floor dysfunction encompasses bladder and bowel incontinence, prolapse, sexual dysfunction, and persistent pelvic pain. The initiative seeks to enhance availability of online information, assess the existing workforce, pinpoint deficiencies in research, and create a symptom checker for pelvic floor dysfunction. Over the medium term, it will also investigate the feasibility of establishing pelvic floor dysfunction teams within primary care settings. A center for pelvic health commenced operations in 2022 within the Cardiff and Vale health board region; concurrently, Hywel Dda is developing a virtual hub where experts in bowel, bladder, and uterine health collaborate. Women’s health physiotherapist Shakira Hassan noted that considerable stigma persists concerning incontinence, with many women being informed it is “to be expected” after childbirth. She added: “Statements like these are really unhelpful because women who haven’t had babies can also experience incontinence and just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s normal.” She further explained: “There’s loads of help for incontinence – pelvic floor exercises, medication, vaginal pessaries, support garments, electrotherapy and postural and breathing exercises.” The strategy indicated that the adoption and execution of proposals from a task and finish group in 2023 have seen limited progress. Availability of qualified healthcare professionals at both primary and secondary care levels remains inconsistent, necessitating the resolution of existing gaps. The utilization of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has tripled since 2018; however, the practice of monthly prescriptions warrants review, as it may cause patients to discontinue treatment prematurely. Additionally, inventive methods are required to manage the volume of women who, despite having a low cancer risk, are referred for ultrasound due to post-menopausal bleeding – a frequent side effect during HRT dosage adjustments. NHS Wales intends to endorse a sexual safety in healthcare charter, mirroring the action taken in England. BBC Wales has previously documented the volume of sexual misconduct allegations registered by Welsh NHS health boards and trusts. Data indicates that victims of abuse access health services more often and receive a higher number of prescriptions. Proposals include establishing a referral pathway to specialized domestic abuse services and providing additional training for all healthcare personnel. Earlier initiatives demonstrated a significant rise in referrals for support when general practitioners received training in identifying indicators of domestic abuse; nevertheless, BBC Wales has discovered that three health board regions have subsequently ceased funding for these programs. Jacqueline Gantley, a retired Cardiff GP and board member of IRISi, which manages these initiatives, stated that health boards perceive defunding as a simple method to achieve cost savings. She explained: “We have a named advocate attached to each GP practice, supporting those who are referred directly for support, but health boards see that as expensive.” She continued: “But the long term savings to families and the NHS are huge. It’s heartbreaking to think of those families that won’t be picked up now.” This segment of the strategy concentrates on areas including sexual health, mental health, Alzheimer’s and dementia, diabetes, ME or chronic fatigue syndrome, cardiovascular disease, cancer recovery, musculoskeletal conditions, and palliative care. It emphasizes the importance of educating the workforce in culturally competent care to ensure diverse communities receive customized healthcare. Instruction on healthy aging at school, college, and university levels is also incorporated, along with enhanced training for NHS personnel regarding conditions affecting older women. The Welsh government will formulate and disseminate policies in pertinent domains, with annual progress reports to be conducted by the NHS Wales Executive. Further efforts will also involve collaboration with groups of women whose perspectives were less adequately represented in prior engagement activities. These groups encompass black and minority ethnic communities, disabled women, individuals with learning disabilities, LGBTQ+ persons, those with neurodivergence, alongside individuals aged 16-25 and those over 65. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.