It’s Time to Care for the Carers: Ending Medical Misogyny in the UK

With the worst gender health gap in the G20, the UK must overhaul women’s healthcare — not with more money, but with more equity, urgency, and accountability.

The Hidden Cost of Medical Misogyny

The UK has the largest gender health gap among G20 nations and ranks 12th worst globally. These aren’t just statistics — they’re daily realities for millions of women facing delayed diagnoses, dismissed pain, and underfunded care.

Dr Geeta Nargund, a leading voice in reproductive health, calls this what it is: medical misogyny. And unless it’s addressed head-on, the NHS reform agenda is destined to fail — along with the health and wellbeing of the very people who keep our health and social care systems running.

The Stats That Should Stop Us in Our Tracks

The data paints a bleak picture:

• Less than 2.5% of publicly funded health research focuses on reproductive health — despite the fact that 1 in 3 women will suffer from a reproductive health issue in her lifetime.

• Women are 50% more likely than men to be misdiagnosed during a heart attack.

• It takes over 8 years to diagnose endometriosis.

• 84% of women say they aren’t always listened to by healthcare professionals.

• 150 million working days are lost every year in the UK due to women’s poor health and lack of support.

And it doesn’t end there. Women make up 77% of NHS staff and 85% of social workers — yet we’re failing to care for the very people who care for us.

A Strategy That’s Not Fit for Purpose

In 2022, the UK government launched a 10-year Women’s Health Strategy. But according to Dr Nargund, the plan was flawed from the start. Built on a public call for evidence instead of a deep review of the NHS itself, it failed to include voices from low-income communities and has so far delivered no measurable improvement in women’s health outcomes.

Even its most high-profile initiative — a £25 million rollout of Women’s Health Hubs — has stumbled. Most hubs are virtual, lack equipment, and are not embedded in the communities they’re meant to serve.

What we need instead are:

• Physical hubs equipped with ultrasound and diagnostic tools

• Localised, equitable access designed around regional and socioeconomic needs

• Faster diagnosis of gynaecological conditions, with direct data sharing to secondary care

  
  

And crucially, none of this requires new funding — it just requires smarter, more strategic allocation.

The Economic Case for Fixing Women’s Health

Women’s health is not a financial burden — it’s an economic opportunity.

The NHS Confederation’s Women’s Health Economics report found that for every £1 invested in obstetrics and gynaecology, there is an £11 return on investment. And the economic toll of conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, and severe menstrual pain is nearly £11 billion per year due to absenteeism alone.

Investing in women’s health isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s the smart thing to do.

Equity Can’t Wait

Medical misogyny doesn’t affect all women equally. For example, Black women in the UK are more than three times as likely to die during or after pregnancy than white women. Yet health services often fail to reflect the needs of diverse populations.

Dr Nargund argues that true reform must address:

• Ethnic and regional disparities in healthcare access

• Social determinants of health, such as housing, education, and income

• Intersectional strategies that go beyond one-size-fits-all policies

  
  

Only a cross-governmental approach, rooted in local community needs and guided by education, prevention, and inclusivity, will move the needle.

A Call to Action

This isn’t about spending more — it’s about spending smarter. And the return? A healthier workforce, a more sustainable NHS, and an economy that works for everyone.

"Delivering high-quality care for 51% of the population will pay dividends,” says Dr Nargund. “The prize is a healthier workforce and a healthier economy.”

The time for performative policies and empty promises is over. Women’s health is national wealth — and it’s time our systems reflected that truth.