{"id":200524,"date":"2024-07-01T13:17:47","date_gmt":"2024-07-01T12:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ftww.org.uk\/?p=196232"},"modified":"2025-01-15T11:28:44","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T11:28:44","slug":"whats-wales-got-to-do-with-it-why-the-uk-general-election-really-matters-for-womens-health-equality-and-why-welsh-voices-count","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ftww.org.uk\/cy\/2024\/07\/01\/whats-wales-got-to-do-with-it-why-the-uk-general-election-really-matters-for-womens-health-equality-and-why-welsh-voices-count\/","title":{"rendered":"Ydy Cymru\u2019n Cyfrif? Pam mae Etholiad Cyffredinol y DU yn Bwysig i Gydraddoldeb Iechyd Menywod \u2013 a pham mae Lleisiau Cymru yn Cyfrif"},"content":{"rendered":"

A FTWW Blog<\/strong>\"A<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the UK General Election fast approaches, many of FTWW\u2019s followers might be thinking that, as the NHS is devolved in Wales, there\u2019s little that any new government in Westminster can do to address health inequities experienced by those we support. Partly, of course, they\u2019d be right \u2013 the Senedd elections are incredibly important to us as an organisation focused on female health equality in Wales. But that\u2019s not to say that the UK Government hasn\u2019t got a huge amount of influence over our health-related experiences more generally.<\/p>\n

The Office for National Statistics reports that women may live longer than men but they spend fewer years in good health[1]<\/a>. Women wait longer for diagnoses and are more likely to be misdiagnosed or dismissed when reporting symptoms[2]<\/a>. In no small part, this is because, historically, we have been under-represented in clinical trials and the health issues which affect us are therefore poorly understood. Much of the research that informs treatments, interventions, and health services across Wales\u2019s NHS is informed by research funded by the UK Government, so we urgently need it to make \u2018women\u2019s health\u2019 a priority for investment, not least so that the economic burden incurred by late-diagnosed and poorly managed health conditions which disproportionately or differently impact female bodies is reduced.<\/p>\n

There is a growing body of evidence to demonstrate the harsh reality of intersectional disadvantage experienced by women across the UK, with Wales no exception. Black women are almost four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women, with significant disparities for women from Asian or mixed ethnic backgrounds[3]<\/a>. At the height of the pandemic, disabled women were between twice and 3.5 times more likely than non-disabled women to die from a Covid-related cause[4]<\/a>. And the majority of those now struggling with Long Covid will be female[5]<\/a>. As a disabled people\u2019s organisation, we are all too aware that Covid is just one example of where poor or delayed treatment can lead to increasing risk of long-lasting impairment, with all the personal and societal costs that this incurs.<\/p>\n

ALL governments talk of \u2018prevention\u2019 and \u2018early intervention\u2019 as vital to improving people\u2019s health and lives, yet, when it comes to the health of women and people registered female at birth, trans, non-binary, and intersex people, lack of awareness, lack of information or guidance, biases, and stereotypes can all play a significant role in delaying access to optimum healthcare, making it far more difficult to achieve good patient outcomes. Improved training for healthcare professionals is often cited as a key way to address some of these barriers \u2013 and this is where the UK Government has as much of a role to play as its Welsh equivalent: a significant number of healthcare professionals who work in Wales are trained in England, whilst patients on the Wales-England border, or who require specialist treatment, may well need to leave Wales to access services.<\/p>\n

We also know that many of the most insidious health inequities are driven by socio-economic disadvantage[6]<\/a>, which is especially pronounced in Wales whose population has a higher proportion of elderly people[7]<\/a> and disabled people (17.7% vs 21.1%)[8]<\/a>. However, many of the levers to address socio-economic disadvantage sit with the UK Government, including the welfare system, which should be re-evaluated through a gender lens. Indeed, women are particularly at risk when it comes to poverty, not least because they are more likely to be living with chronic physical and mental ill health which makes it harder, if not impossible, for them to secure employment.<\/p>\n

We would therefore urge the new UK Government to be forward-thinking when it comes to \u2018women\u2019s health\u2019, not least because it makes economic sense: investment in relevant clinical research; investment in training programmes which focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion; investment in improved service delivery\u2026All would enable the UK to adopt the \u2018preventative\u2019 approach so often exhorted of the population, ultimately improving the UK\u2019s financial wellbeing, and the health and prosperity of its citizens.<\/p>\n

As members of the Women\u2019s Equality Network (WEN) Wales<\/strong><\/a>, we have supported its Manifesto calls on health inequality, including:<\/p>\n