GP patient survey data to be used to tackle variation in women’s experience

General practice patient survey data will be used to ‘reduce variation’ in how GPs listen to and respond to women, the Government has announced.

In a renewed Women’s Health Strategy, the Government said GP Patient Survey data platform would be updated to include a specific focus on women’s experiences of feeling listened to.

The quality improvement programme would be launched within two years under the strategy designed to tackle ‘an appalling culture of medical misogyny’ in the NHS.

Being ‘ignored, gaslit, humiliated and disrespected’ are all-too-common experiences for far too many women, health secretary Wes Streeting set out in a forward to the document.

A new standard of care will be introduced for ‘appropriate and effective’ pain relief for invasive gynaecological procedures, from contraceptive fitting through to hysteroscopies, addressing ‘long-standing concerns around inadequate pain management’.

The strategy also reiterated targets to introduce a menopause question into the routine NHS Health Check this year and proposals to shift women’s health services into primary care and community settings, including a single point of access for gynaecology referrals and redesigned clinical pathways for heavy periods, menopause and uro-gynaecology within three years.

A single referral point, along with online support, will help to drastically cut waiting lists and ensure women no longer face years-long waits for diagnosis and treatment for conditions like endometriosis, the strategy said.

Failure to listen to women is how we end up with tragic cases like Jessica Brady, who died from cancer after her condition was missed – or dismissed – despite more than 20 appointments at her GP practice, Mr Streeting wrote.

The Government has already introduced Jess’s Rule in her memory so that GP teams have to ‘reflect, review and rethink’ if a patient presents three times with the same or escalating symptoms, he added.

Launching the renewed strategy, Mr Streeting said the NHS had for too long treated women’s pain as an inconvenience and their symptoms as an overreaction.

‘Whether it’s being passed from one appointment to another for conditions like endometriosis and fibroids, or a lack of proper pain relief during invasive procedures, through to having to navigate symptoms for years before receiving a diagnosis, it’s clear the system is failing women.

‘Women’s voices must be central to delivering effective, respectful and empathetic care.’

Over time, patient-reported data will be used at multiple levels in the health system to ensure services are listening, responsive and providing the best possible experiences and outcomes, the strategy said.

It also sets out a trial of a new mechanism to link provider payments to women’s experiences of their gynaecology care.

Funding withheld due to poor experiences would be used for targeted improvements to the same services, it noted.

Dr Sue Mann, NHS England’s clinical director for women’s health, said too many women are still dismissed for serious symptoms that impact on every part of their lives, whether that’s menstrual pain, irregular periods, or hot flushes and brain fog that affect many women experiencing the menopause.

‘The renewed Women’s Health Strategy will build significantly on the work the NHS has been doing to ensure women are heard and get the specialist care they need – with a focus on bringing down waiting times, delivering more care in communities and giving women more choice over their care.’

Dr Alison Wright, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists welcomed the renewed focus on women’s health.

‘With over 565,000 women still waiting for gynaecological care, there is a clear opportunity to embed women’s health hubs within the neighbourhood health model.

‘For the strategy to achieve its full potential, it is vital that it is backed by sustained investment, clear delivery plans and transparent progress reporting. We stand ready to work together with government to ensure this strategy is a success.’