Women’s health is a priority despite scrapping of key pledge, says NHS chief
Women’s health is a priority despite scrapping of key pledge, says NHS chief
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There is a “big cultural challenge” in the NHS and the service “doesn’t always have the needs of women at its heart”, the head of the service has admitted. But Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, insisted that women’s health is a “priority” for the health service in England.
It comes as health leaders faced criticism over plans to scrap a number of targets for the health service – including a pledge over women’s health. The NHS’ annual planning guidance, which sets out the key priorities for hospitals and community services, is due to be published on Thursday.
Reports suggest that one of the 2024-25 pledges, which called for a women’s health hub to be established in each region, will not be renewed in the 2025-26 guidance. But the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has implored health leaders to reconsider, saying that the hubs – which have been established in 39 out of 42 local health regions – have had a “transformational impact”.
In a letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, RCOG said: “If the Government fails to recommit to women’s health hubs, we fear this will result in a deterioration in women’s health and services, an exacerbation of health inequalities and a missed opportunity to support economic growth.”.
MPs were told that certain ring-fenced funding would be scrapped in the planning guidance to give local health leaders more freedom to decide how to deliver care. Speaking at Health and Social Care Committee, Ms Pritchard said: “So, there is a bit of tension here because, quite understandably, there is a desire to see particular things that people care about written into national guidance, and often to see ring-fenced funding around that.
