Will the Minister provide an update on the status of the women’s health plan?
I am committed to improving the health outcomes for women and girls in Wales and that is why the NHS in Wales have been tasked with developing a 10 Year Women’s Health plan. The plan will be an NHS Plan and will outline how the NHS expects to deliver the requirements set out in the Quality Statement for Women and Girl’s Health. A National Clinical Lead for Women’s Health has been appointed and the NHS Executive is in the final stages of recruiting a network manager. These are pivotal roles for the creation of the Women’s Health Network. Once the recruitment is competed the network will be established and will lead on the development of the plan.
The Quality Statement makes clear it is of paramount importance for health board services to reflect women’s needs across a wide range of conditions, not just gynaecological conditions. Women’s symptoms and clinical presentations of cardiac disorders, asthma, incontinence, and mental health conditions are often different to men, and their care must respond by recognising these patterns, and offer women diagnosis and treatment according to their specific needs, through a model of service delivery that is gender and culturally competent. A list of conditions where there is gender inequality and a need for gender competent services that women might require that are different from services historically provided is provided in the Quality Statement and includes migraine.