National Assembly for Wales

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Regrets the normalisation of women’s physical and emotional pain in their healthcare, as well as the expectation that pain is a regrettable but unavoidable aspect of women's health.

2. Believes that by consulting with gynaecologists, midwives and women's health groups, health professionals should aim to reduce situations where pain is expected and accepted as normal in NHS healthcare.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) strengthen the expectations for NHS services in the Quality Statement for women and girls’ health;

b) establish a legal requirement for healthcare providers to regularly collect feedback from female patients about their experiences and satisfaction with the care they receive, especially in relation to gynaecological appointments, midwifery and postnatal services, perinatal mental health and menopause; and 

c) introduce statutory obligations for the development, coordination and implementation of the Women’s Health Plan developed by the Welsh NHS and consulted on with gynaecologists, midwives and women's health groups, which should include measures to address and counter the normalisation of pain in women’s healthcare.