Women’s health can no longer be an afterthought: University of Warwick experts welcome renewed national strategy
As a university working at the forefront of women’s health, Warwick researchers and professionals warmly welcome the renewed national Women’s Health Strategy and the direction it sets for improving women’s health outcomes.
The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England, published by the UK Government on 15 April, has committed to putting women’s voices at the centre of care by improving access, reducing waiting times, and addressing longstanding inequalities in how women’s health is researched, diagnosed, treated and supported across the healthcare system.
Professor Andrew McAinsh, Deputy Dean and Pro Dean (Research), Warwick Medical School said: “The publication of the renewed national Women’s Health Strategy is both timely and deeply welcome for us at Warwick. For too long, women’s health has been under-funded, under-prioritised and overlooked within systems historically designed around male bodies, symptoms, and experiences.
“At Warwick, women’s health is a key mission area across the University. We have an established network of clinical partnerships and a strong track record of translational, impact-driven research that improves outcomes for women. This has produced an integrated ecosystem uniting research, healthcare, education, and innovation to tackle persistent inequalities in women’s health, which this new strategy rightly seeks to address.”
Addressing longstanding inequalities requires system-wide coordination, and Warwick is well positioned to convene the expertise and partnerships needed to support this effort.
- Warwick combines internationally recognised expertise across women’s health, with world-leading discoveries in recurrent miscarriage, endometriosis, pregnancy and menopause all under a unifying Women’s Health Mission.
- Warwick is part of key national research programmes highlighted by the Strategy Renewal, such as the NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium and NIHR Policy Research Unit for Reproductive Health.
- Warwick has strong healthcare partnerships, including being a founding member of the Central England Health Partners and lead academic partner for the Arden Cross HealthTech Campus, positioning Warwick to anchor a future national centre for women’s and girls’ health planned for the site.
- A strong track record of innovation, translating discovery into real-world impact, including women’s health spinouts such as Medherant, which is developing testosterone-based treatments for women, and Xambika Biotech, which is developing diagnostic services for endometrial health.
- A strong pipeline of talent, supported by expanded education opportunities, including the recent launch of one of the UK’s few MSc Reproductive Science courses.
- Warwick is also shaping the national conversation through the Healthcare & Innovation Women’s Leadership Network, which convenes senior leaders across the NHS, academia and industry, including Dr Sue Mann and Kate Lancaster. The network is convened by Warwick's Jane Coleman and Penny Triantafillou.
Dr Beck Taylor, Associate Clinical Professor, Warwick Medical School said: “Women in the UK live longer than men on average, yet spend a greater proportion of their lives in poor health, a clear sign of persistent inequalities in care. The renewed Women’s Health Strategy is a welcome move to address this by centring women’s voices in how services are designed and delivered.
“At Warwick, we are also putting women’s voices at the heart of our thinking and have a strong record of delivering research closely connected to their real-world need. This strategy reinforces the importance of scaling that work, and expanding our partnerships and collaborations, to drive better outcomes.”
The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy provides vital momentum at a time of growing national focus on women’s health. It aligns closely with Warwick’s Set the Pace campaign, which places women’s health at the heart of our ambition to accelerate research, talent and innovation addressing global challenges. The opportunity now is to turn this shared ambition into sustained action through investment, collaboration, and innovation.