The renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England was released by the Department of Health earlier this month setting out how the government intends to improve women’s health and healthcare over the next 10 years.
This strategic document has been much anticipated with standout points on easier access to care and reducing waiting times, support for more access to address unmet needs and a call to prioritise health education for the next generation.
The strategy shared an important message about listening to women when and even before they ask for help, acknowledging that this area of care delivery has been lacking. The strategy also made a series of commitments to support and empower women to have a stronger, louder input in their care with improvements to access, tackling diagnostic delays and a shift from awareness to action.
At BIVDA, we support the strategy as a step forward and we continue to champion where medical diagnostics will shape its delivery and where the use of diagnostic testing in the right place and at the right time will be a key enabler for supporting expanded diagnostic pathways.
BIVDA recognises that this is the first and much needed step in improving delivery of care and management of women’s health across the NHS. One policy document alone cannot drive change, but by working together change can happen. We continue to support and focus on the use of high quality, evidence-led diagnostic tests across healthcare pathways and look forward to the successful implementation of the renewed Women’s Health Strategy.
BIVDA Chief Executive Helen Dent said, ‘We are pleased that the government is making a clear commitment, but the key will be consistent implementation nationally.
‘Without sustained and ring-fenced multi-year investment, the ability of providers to respond quickly, using the best diagnostics available in the community, will be difficult. Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) could deliver significant diagnostic testing for women, but current plans do not go far enough.’
