Women’s Health Strategy

Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford Excerpts

Tuesday 4th February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

We continue to learn from the best. I am committed to speaking with the leadership of ICBs about the importance of women’s health hubs, not least because it is about improving women’s healthcare. Having visited a women’s health hub myself, I can testify to the points that the noble Baronesses have made. However, I gently repeat that we need to look not just in the planning guidance but in the elective reform plan, which states about the NHS that:

“In gynaecology we will support … innovative models offering patients care closer to home”.


That is exemplified by the women’s health hub. The Neighbourhood Health Guidelines, published just last week, include women’s health hubs as an example of a neighbourhood health model.

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford (Con)]

My Lords, the history of health policy through successive Governments has been one of too many priorities and targets which are not delivered, so I support the Government in this analysis. It has also been one of poorer outcomes for women and minorities. Given the shift in leadership from the Department of Health and others, how will the Government ensure better outcomes for women and minorities? How will those be monitored? Will they intervene early if they do not see that direction of travel?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness for her welcome for the new approach in the planning guidance. As she commented, and as noble Lords opposite will know, just because something is in the guidance does not mean that it will happen. For example, despite targets for A&E performance or ambulance response times being written into planning, they were not delivered. This is not where we want to be. We will continue to work with NHS England; for example, to ensure that women’s health is key. I should also emphasise that, as we move towards the 10-year health plan, women’s health will feature not as an adjunct but run throughout.