The government's priorities for women's health in 2024 have been announced by the Health and Social Care Secretary. These include difficult periods, women's health research, and assistance for victims of domestic and sexual violence.
The plan expands upon the December 2021 publication of the Vision for the Women's Health Strategy for England which saw the introdcution of the UK Menopause Taskforce that made advance efforts to improve women's healthcare assistance, increase public and healthcare professional awareness, foster workplace support, and identify areas in which additional study is required to fill in the available evidence.
The Women's Health Strategy for England 2024 has a 6 point long term plan for transitional change one point including, increased awareness of how women's health impacts their experience at work, including how employers can support and enable women to continue being productive by normalising discussions about taboo subjects like menopause and periods and by showcasing the numerous instances of best practices.
Support for menopause in the workplace was also an important theme, with many respondents and organisations describing a lack of support at work and a feeling that the menopause is a ‘taboo’ subject that cannot be talked about openly, which made management of symptoms even more difficult. Some organisations also outlined how this can contribute to productivity and retention issues if women reduce hours or leave the workforce. These could increase over time as the number of women aged 50 and over participating in employment increases.
Find out more about the new women's health priorities for 2024 here
Women's Health Strategy for England available to download here
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