Written question WQ86735

There are a wide range of conditions where women may present differently to men or may be disproportionately affected, including migraine, and the NHS must be able to treat people experiencing these conditions appropriately to ensure the best possible outcomes.

In July, I published the Women and Girls Health Quality Statement setting out how the NHS in Wales needs to offer high quality services to women. The quality statement describes what good provision looks like; not just for women’s reproductive health but to address the gender bias in our mainstream health system. I expect the NHS, in the development of their Women’s Health Plan, to consider the actions required to ensure women accessing our health services, for any reason, are offered the support and provision they need.

I am pleased that the survey into women’s health, launched by Judith Paget, NHS Chief Executive, on 5th August attracted close to 4,000 individual responses from women and girls aged 16 to 85 and above. Their responses have provided incredibly rich detail on the issues and concerns affecting women and their health in Wales which will enable the NHS to identify the key themes and issues that the service must target in the development of a Women’s Health Plan.