Latest news with #LesleyRegan
Telegraph
a day ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Streeting orders LGBT+ health review despite axing women's target
Wes Streeting has ordered an LGBT+ health review despite previously axing a key women's health target. For the first time, the NHS will conduct a six-month review of its 'unequal' treatment of LGBT+ patients. Recommendations on improving the experiences of people who consider themselves LGBT+ will be made to the Government in December, the health service said. It is likely to ignite further criticism from women and campaigners, who accused the Health Secretary of 'sidelining' women after he removed women's health targets in annual NHS planning guidance earlier this year while also setting up a men's health strategy. Dame Lesley Regan, the Government's women's health ambassador, previously told the Telegraph there was 'already a men's health strategy – it's called the NHS'. At the same time, charities and Royal Colleges have criticised the Health Secretary's failure to 'reset the women's health strategy' previously set up by the Conservatives, including through the recent 10-year health plan. Ranee Thakar, the president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said the plan 'falls short in pledging to eliminate the gender health gap that is costing women years of life and good health'. The NHS dropped a number of targets from this year's guidance, which included removing the requirement for there to be women's health hubs in all parts of England. The health service said the LGBT review would 'build on significant evidence that LGBT+ people have worse access to healthcare, poorer experience and worse health outcomes than the general population'. It will look at the 'barriers' in accessing care such as therapy, cancer screening and GP appointments. LGBT people are more likely to have mental health conditions and poor experiences of NHS services, including GPs, according to a recent patient experience survey. The review will focus on the care of people aged 16 and older but consider the experiences of children aged 13 to 15 as well. However, it will not look at NHS gender services for children or adults, or social care services, for which there have been or are separate reviews ongoing. Mr Streeting said: 'The NHS is at its best when it serves everyone equally – but evidence shows this hasn't been happening. For too many LGBT+ people, accessing quality healthcare remains a challenge, and one often marked by discrimination, misunderstanding, and mis-education. 'That's why I've commissioned a comprehensive review into LGBT+ health inequalities – because every patient deserves dignity, respect, and excellent care, regardless of who they are or who they love.' Fiona McAnena, the director of campaigns at the human rights charity Sex Matters, said: 'Looking at the particular healthcare needs of population subgroups is commendable. But nothing useful can emerge if the members have little in common. 'LGBT+ is not a homogeneous group. NHS England has previously commissioned work on the healthcare needs of women who sleep with women – its label – and separately for men who sleep with men, recognising that the two groups are quite different. 'Trans-identified individuals range from school-age girls and boys to elderly men, both gay and straight. When it comes to healthcare, each of these subgroups surely has more in common with others of their age and sex. As for the plus in LGBT+, what on earth does it mean?' The review will be led by Dr Michael Brady, NHS England's LGBT+ adviser. He said: 'It's unacceptable that LGBT+ people have a poorer overall experience of health services, which leads to worse health outcomes. 'This is the first review to look in depth at this issue and make recommendations which will help the NHS better meet the health needs of LGBT+ people.' The review is welcoming relevant submissions until the end of August and will look at a range of information and data, including unpublished research. It says it will continue use the 'LGBT+ acronym' but 'we recognise that the LGBT+ community is diverse and intersectional, reflecting gender diversity and a number of minority sexual orientations'.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How a new period checker could stop millions from ‘suffering in silence'
A charity has launched a new period symptom checker to help women and girls understand their menstrual cycle in more depth, as one of the UK's top women's health doctors warns women are "suffering in silence" with menstrual problems. Wellbeing of Women's period checker asks users various questions about health and reproductive symptoms and takes only four minutes to complete. At the end, it drafts a letter for women to give to their GP in order to open up discussions about their symptoms. The charity said that many women are "putting up with" debilitating pain and heavy bleeding, with those suffering from period problems waiting an average of two years before seeking help. In 2023, a survey of 3,000 women and girls for Wellbeing of Women found that 96% experienced period pain, with 59% describing their pain as severe. A huge majority (91%) said they experienced heavy periods, with nearly half (49%) saying their bleeding was severe. Despite their symptoms, the survey found that women and girls are often dismissed as "just having a period", with 51% saying they felt their doctors failed to take their pain seriously. But severe pain and heavy bleeding, as well as irregular cycles, may be a sign of conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The new tool comes after the Women and Equalities Committee of MPs published a report in December concluding that many girls are leaving school without knowing what a "normal" period looks like. The report added that the prevalence of "medical misogyny" is leading to women living with unnecessary pain for years. The MPs suggested there is a lack of medical research, treatment options and specialists, adding that the "de-prioritisation" of gynaecological care have led to waiting lists have grown faster than any other speciality. Professor Dame Lesley Regan, a leading gynaecologist and chairwoman of Wellbeing of Women, said: "It is shocking that women are still suffering severe period pain and heavy bleeding in silence. "A variety of medical treatments could be offered to girls and women with these distressing conditions. We hope that our new Period Symptom Checker will encourage women to speak up and seek help for their period problems. "It aims to promote better engagement with GPs and other community healthcare professionals by creating a letter that outlines how their symptoms are affecting their everyday lives." Watch: "I was told I had period pain - it was endometriosis, two uteruses and cervixes" The charity also commissioned a poll, conducted by Censuswide, that found only one in 10 women can identify all the signs of heavy menstrual bleeding. It called for better education about menstrual health and said this is urgent to encourage women to seek treatment, whether through an appointment with their GP or community healthcare professional, or by taking better care of themselves. Dr Michael Mulholland, honorary secretary at the Royal College of GPs (RCGP), said: "It's never easy to hear when any patient reports not feeling as though they have been listened to. "We want all women to feel confident about turning to their GP for timely and appropriate care. "Women's health is a key part of the RCGP curriculum that all GPs in training must demonstrate competence of before they are able to practise independently as a GP, and we will continue to support initiatives like Wellbeing of Women's Period Symptom Checker to raise awareness and challenge the normalisation of period problems." Additional reporting by PA Read more about women's health: How do period-tracking apps work, and should you use them for fertility? (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read) 'Medical misogyny' means women endure years of gynaecological pain, new report says (Sky News, 3-min read) More than a million women keep period sick days a secret (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)
