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UK Women Face Worsening Health, Lacking Investment
28 Apr
Summary
- UK ranks 20th out of 21 high-income countries for women's health.
- Women in deprived areas face nearly three decades in poor health.
- Women's health strategy receives less than men's, despite needs.
The health of women in the UK has seen a concerning decline, placing the country 20th out of 21 high-income nations. This trend is more pronounced for women than men, raising alarms about worsening women's health outcomes.
In England, the gap in healthy life expectancy between the most and least deprived areas is over 20 years for women. A woman born in a deprived area may live just over 51 years in good health, compared to over 70 in affluent areas, meaning nearly three decades of life in poor health. This decline over the past decade reflects broader societal pressures.
Factors contributing to this disparity include higher rates of unpaid caregiving among women, their concentration in lower-wage sectors like social care and retail with demanding conditions, and significant delays in diagnoses for conditions like endometriosis. Women wait an average of nine years for an endometriosis diagnosis.
A renewed women's health strategy was launched on April 15, 2026, pledging to end 'medical misogyny.' However, the £5 million allocated falls significantly short of the £8 million for the men's health strategy, with minimal funding for critical areas like menstrual education and gynaecology.
This lack of ring-fenced funding signals a political priority mismatch. Experts emphasize that healthy life expectancy is a product of cumulative conditions, not individual choices, and call for investment to match the scale of the problem. A sustained response is needed to address the upstream causes impacting women's health.
