Women’s health strategy: neighbourhood services are central to reducing health inequalities

The renewed women’s health strategy responds to the serious problem of gendered health inequalities.1 Healthy life expectancy for women has fallen by 2.5 years between 2019–21 and 2022–24, faster than for men.2 In Hartlepool, one of England’s most deprived areas, it stands at just 51.2 years for women.3 The strategy’s self-imposed measure of success—to raise healthy life expectancy in the poorest regions to a minimum of 61 years—signals genuine ambition. If this is matched by delivery, particularly through “one stop” diagnosis in the community, it can tackle the inequalities that harm women’s health.Gynaecology is the strategy’s springboard into women’s health. This is understandable given that England’s gynaecology waiting list hit 570 339 in December 2025 and only 57% of women are seen within 18 weeks.45 Inequalities are stark here: women from black and Asian backgrounds face the largest relative increases in waiting times, and there are substantial regional variations.6Importantly, the…