The RCOG has responded to the Women and Equalities Committee’s latest report on the menstrual health of girls and young women.
This report follows the Committee’s December 2024 inquiry into women’s reproductive health conditions and finds that:
- Women’s health is still being not sufficiently prioritised, with over half a million women on gynaecology waiting lists across England.
- Early intervention for girls’ menstrual health is critical. The new Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum is welcome but needs a clear implementation plan and proper support, including funded school nursing pathways.
- Women’s Health Hubs are central to shifting care into the community but risk being scaled back without ringfenced funding and accountability for ICBs.
- The Government must tackle dismissal of women’s pain, workforce pressures, inequalities, and significantly increase research into menstrual health conditions.
The Committee is calling for the upcoming renewed Women’s Health Strategy to set out a credible, fully costed plan with clear timelines that directly addresses the concerns raised in the report and delivers tangible improvements for girls’ and women’s health.
In response to the findings, Dr Alison Wright, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said:
“This report reflects exactly what our members and their patients experience on a daily basis. Women’s health, including menstrual and gynaecological care, has not been prioritised at anywhere near the scale required.
“The RCOG has, for years, been warning that gynaecology waiting lists are at crisis point. This report describes the situation as a ‘national scandal’, which sadly echoes what we have long heard, and repeatedly highlighted.
“We welcome the Committee’s recognition of Women’s Health Hubs as a vital part of the solution and share their concern regarding the risk of these hubs being scaled back. They must be protected, adequately funded and expanded in every neighbourhood, with Integrated Care Boards held accountable for delivery. At the same time, workforce pressures must be addressed. Our latest census shows that nearly two thirds of doctors working in Obstetrics and Gynaecology are at risk of burnout, which undoubtedly impacts on patient care.
“The renewed Women’s Health Strategy is a crucial opportunity for Government to set out a clear, costed delivery plan, with firm timelines to tackle these issues. This must be backed by sustained funding, clear milestones and transparent annual reporting. We have seen the same issues raised in multiple reports before. This time, we can and we must move beyond reports to positive, collaborative action.”
- The Women and Equalities report on menstrual health of girls and young women is available here: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmwomeq/1265/report.html
- Read the RCOG’s response to the 2024 report here: https://www.rcog.org.uk/news/rcog-responds-to-women-and-equalities-committee-report-on-women-s-reproductive-health-conditions/
- Read the RCOG’s priorities for the renewed Women’s Health Strategy: https://www.rcog.org.uk/about-us/campaigning-and-opinions/rcog-priorities-for-the-refreshed-women-s-health-strategy-for-england/
- Read our evaluation of the previous Women’s Health Strategy here: https://www.rcog.org.uk/about-us/campaigning-and-opinions/a-work-in-progress-evaluating-the-women-s-health-strategy/
- Read the RCOG’s latest report into long gynaecology waiting lists: https://rcog.shorthandstories.com/new-year-still-waiting-for-a-way-forward/
- Access our data dashboard with a breakdown of gynaecology waiting lists across the UK: https://rcogwaitinglist.health.lcp.com/data-and-method