Shock as UK drops down global women's health league for fourth year in a row
THE UK has dropped down a global women's health league for the fourth year in a row.
Countries such as
British women are more likely to experience poor emotional health and chronic pain than the EU average, it was revealed.
The UK — the sixth richest nation in the world — ranks 41st out of 142 in the Hologic Global Women's Health Index.
That is down from 37 last year and 30 in 2023.
The annual league is based on polls of more than 78,000 women globally.
It showed maternity care quality has declined and women here are less likely than in similar nations to be checked for conditions such as
British women also report higher rates of sadness,
Tim Simpson, of health tech firm Hologic, said: 'This is a four-year decline that no one can ignore.'
Janet Lindsay, boss of charity Wellbeing of Women, said: 'These figures are unacceptable for one of the world's wealthier nations. They reflect long- standing under-investment.'
Most read in Health
The report scores countries out of 100 based on women's responses on issues such as illness, personal safety, medical care and mental health.
Top of the table was Taiwan (68) and Kuwait (67).
Millions of women live life according to their menstrual cycle, study shows
The UK scored 59, behind USA (60), Kazakhstan (63), Saudi Arabia (63) and Kosovo (60).
We placed 23rd out of 31 in Europe.
The Department of Health said: 'We're on a mission to get the NHS working for women. Equality will be at the heart of our Ten-Year Health Plan.'
1
The UK has dropped down a global women's health league for the fourth year in a row
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
19 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Extension of special sick pay scheme grants 'temporary relief' to nurses with long covid
Nurses affected by long covid have said they are grateful and relieved a special pay scheme has been extended for another six months with some now in their fifth year out of work. The Labour Court has recommended a final extension to December. It had been controversially due to expire this week. Fiona Walsh, a nurse living in Donnybrook, Cork, has been ill with long covid since January 2021. She has seen little change with time, saying: 'it's been very disheartening'. 'We are very grateful for the six month extension. It's a welcome relief,' she said. She and 158 other eligible staff had 'a very stressful day' on Thursday, waiting for the decision, she added. 'It's a temporary relief though, to be honest, as we all remain too unwell to return to work,' she said. She supports a call from health unions for covid and long covid to be recognised as an occupational illness. This could lead to better supports. Ms Walsh was one of a group of staff who met Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Friday. 'We presented to him the reality of living with long covid which we contracted while working on the frontline,' she said. 'He listened to what we presented him. He appreciates the work we did and is fully aware of the implications of long covid. He was very understanding and emphatic. We are so thankful he gave us his time.' The Labour Court decision means after December 31 eligible staff can only transfer to the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme. The Department of Health said Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill supports the decision, and will ensure the extension happens. The ICTU Group of Healthcare Unions welcomed the decision and repeated its desire to see covid-19 and long covid recognized as occupational illness. ICTU chairman Albert Murphy said this would place Ireland in line with other EU countries. 'Healthcare workers with long covid went to work when everyone else was told to stay at home during covid and are still suffering the consequences that come with a huge physical and mental cost,' he said. Mr Murphy, also Irish Nurses and Midwives Director of Industrial Relations, called on the Government to take action. Other unions in ICTU who support the move are Siptu, Forsa and the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association. Labour health spokeswoman Marie Sherlock said Ireland is one of only two EU countries which does not recognise covid in this way. 'I have had many health workers express to me their enormous stress and anxiety about how they will pay their bills, mortgages, and look after their families,' she said. She added: 'It is appalling that high court costs are wracked up by a case that workers felt they needed to take and that time was spent by department officials fighting trade unions at the Labour court.' Read More Online hospital dashboard lets public view a wealth of current Irish health data
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Lucy Letby's life behind bars revealed – from £33-a-week to spend on chocolate & TWICE as many visits as other prisoners
LUCY Letby's enhanced prisoner status gives her a staggering £33 a week to spend on sweets and chocolate. The former nurse can also receive twice as many visits as other prisoners, after being fast-tracked from standard status. 5 Lucy Letby was convicted of killing seven babies Credit: PA 5 The nurse worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital in the North-West Credit: PA 5 The nurse reportedly gets to spend £33 on sweet treats in the prison canteen Credit: PA She is now imprisoned in unit four of the only purpose-built private prison in the UK - HMP Bronzefield. Now an enhanced prisoner, Letby is given £33 a week to spend in the prison canteen where regular prisoners are only given £19.80. Some prisoners are bumped down to basic status as a punishment, which gives them only £5.50 per week. Read More on Lucy Letby All prisoners are given status reviews every 28 days, but A source told the MailOnline that the killer nurse was upgraded because of fears that she may be attacked by other inmates. The source said: ' 'It grates with officers though - she's committed the worst crimes possible and here she is on the enhanced unit with all the benefits that come with it. Most read in The Sun 'Again the real reason she is here is safety, she would be attacked on any other unit.' Letby reportedly has shared a cell with a former prison officer who was jailed after having sex with an inmate. I defend baby killers like Lucy Letby – bombshell new theory could FREE her but I know real truth… & it's NOT medical The inmate is the fourth woman in British history to be given no hope for parole after committing her string of chilling murders. Her first confirmed victim was a boy born in June 2015, who, despite being born prematurely, was described as being "stable". Letby came on shift at 7.30pm that same day and, by 8.26pm, the boy's condition was "deteriorating rapidly". He died twenty minutes later after air was deliberately injected into his bloodstream. That boy's twin sister became ill just 28 hours later after "purple blotches" broke out across her body - symptoms shared with her brother. Thankfully, that baby survived. 5 Some have cast doubt on Lucy Letby's conviction Credit: Reuters However, another two babies died under the nurse's care that same month - one of which ingested air and the other being killed when air was injected into her bloodstream. More Finally, Letby was found to have killed two more babies on June 23 and 24 2016. The killer nurse was arrested on July 3, 2018, and faced a three-year court battle before She had been working at the Countess of Chester Hospital while at large. Despite her conviction, Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt said that, although the victim's family must be at the 'forefront' of politician's minds, there is 'doubt on what actually happened'. He added: 'They are not conspiracy theories dredged up from far-flung reaches of the internet.' The former health secretary and Tory chancellor said that 14 paediatric specialists ruled that the deaths of the babies had been down to natural causes. 5 Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that the inmate's case should be reopened Credit: PA
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Working Life: If you like people, you will like geriatric medicine
'My interest in older people started during my medical training, when I was a SHO (senior house officer). I came across all of these older people with fascinating stories. 'One patient had fought in both world wars. Imagine that. Another was a messenger for James Connolly during the 1916 Rising. She told me they used young girls as messengers as they felt the British army wouldn't shoot them. This woman used to run through the back streets of Dublin, behind the GPO. 'If you like people, I mean really like people, you will like geriatric medicine. When I was younger, I was very taken by Jacques Cousteau and wanted to be a marine biologist. In hindsight, I'm not sure I'd have lasted long. 'Anyone who knows me will be aware of how much I spoke out on behalf of older people during covid. I was subsequently asked to be an Age Friendly ambassador. A starting point for me is the importance of an age-friendly society. You'd imagine it would be a given, but it's not. 'If you look at it from a tech point of view, there's a real danger for older people that what should be enabling is becoming isolating. It's a real bugbear of mine how any software company can get a licence for tech that hasn't been road-tested on older people. 'My dad, Dermot Collins, is a lifelong GAA fan. Yet when he's going to matches now, he's expected to use an electronic ticket wallet. It's complicated. That's an example of tech dis-enabling people. It starts a pattern of isolation. 'Hospitals need to up their game, too, when it comes to older people. They should be designed with the most vulnerable in mind, but they are not. Elderly patients are expected to book outpatient appointments using online systems. On wards, the most private conversations can be overheard. It's appalling. I know our hospitals are in a rush to go paperless, but we need to be sensible about what we want to achieve. 'Monaghan Hospital is doing a good job of trying to make its campus more age-friendly. Physical improvements include parking spaces closer to the entrance, a new access ramp, improved toilet facilities, and universal-design compliant seats. Age Friendly Ireland is an appointed Shared Service of local government. Each local authority has an Age Friendly ambassador
