Sexism and the 'gender gap' in healthcare - new plan

[PearlClutch]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62221778

An article about women's health that uses teh word 'women' all over the place. How refreshing.

'"We heard from women that the system doesn't listen to them when they come forward and ask for help with their healthcare needs," Minister for Women's Health Maria Caulfield told BBC Radio 4's Women's Hour.'

Very good to see the use of the word "women" and also good to see the government putting positive steps to tackle inequalities in women's health.

Great they're using the word women, but aside from that I don't see much to encourage me here that women's health concerns will be taken seriously and women will be listened to.

The areas focused on are those that are profitable from a pharmaceutical point of view.

Cancer, HRT. The usuals.

This sounded interesting and possibly positive - although in practise I wonder if it actually means more centralising and fewer services offered at GP surgeries:

'Encourage the expansion of dedicated women's health hubs so maternity, gynaecology and sexual health services can be accessed in a single place'

How pathetic is the current state of affairs that I actually have a flash of relief at seeing the words, "women" and "maternity"?

It's not just the lack of knowledge about female specific ailments that's the problem though, it's also the widespread attitude that a woman presenting with pain must be exaggerating. It's good that things are being addressed but if the underlying culture doesn't change then how much can it improve?

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/overhaul-aims-to-stop-sexist-nhs-ignoring-womens-pain-zcstjdm9c?shareToken=baf6eeff4e233b2709d24b74d8206bc2

'Doctors will be trained to stop ignoring women’s pain under a new drive to “right the wrongs” of decades of institutional sexism in the NHS.

The government has unveiled a ten-year strategy aimed at ending failures in healthcare that affect women at every stage of their life.'