A major new report has revealed that poor support for women’s health is driving thousands out of their jobs, with one in seven women forced to leave work due to unmanaged or misdiagnosed health conditions.
The research comes from the Create Health Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation founded by leading reproductive health specialist Professor Geeta Nargund. The foundation advocates for better access to women’s healthcare and policies that support women across both the health and employment sectors.
Its Women Count the Cost report, based on a survey of nearly 5,000 adults, uncovers systemic failures in healthcare and workplace practices that are disproportionately affecting women.
Observers say the findings should serve as a wake-up call to UK employers, as the government continues to grapple with high levels of economic inactivity and labour market attrition, particularly among women aged 35–54.
Health Bias in Care and at Work
The research reveals a consistent pattern of medical gender bias. Over a quarter of women (26%) reported having a women’s health condition dismissed by a health professional, and 17% said they felt uncomfortable being treated by a male clinician. The figures are significantly worse than for male patients seeking help with men’s health issues.
This sense of being ignored extends into the workplace. Nearly a third (32%) of working women said their employer does not do enough to support women’s health needs, and a quarter felt uncomfortable raising the issue with their manager.
And more than one in five women (22%) reported feeling unsupported during pregnancy – a basic test of employer commitment to employee wellbeing, say experts.
Mental Load, Real Consequences
Beyond the boardroom, the data shows women juggling health challenges with family responsibilities. Among those with primary-school-aged children, nearly one in five (18%) said their child had missed school due to the parent’s health issue. Meanwhile, 44% of women said their condition had negatively affected family relationships.
Professor Geeta Nargund, founder of the Create Health Foundation, said the findings reflected an urgent need for a women’s health strategy, one that’s properly executed.
“Women’s health outcome measures have worsened, not improved, since the last government introduced their plan three years ago,” she said.
She added that women’s health centres were “part of the solution, but we need more of them, and with ultrasound equipment and blood test facilities, providing a quick diagnosis of gynaecological conditions and using digital technology to transfer the information to secondary care”.
Health Centres Underused, Under-Equipped
The study also reviewed the government’s Women’s Health Strategy for England, which launched in 2022 with a flagship plan to create £25 million women’s health centres across the country.
Yet fewer than 7% of women have visited a centre, and more than half have never heard of them, the report found. Although satisfaction among those who use the centres is high (93%), the research found that over 60% of users did not receive a basic diagnostic scan or blood test. That’s despite them being crucial for early detection of conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome.
“Improving women’s healthcare is key,” said Helena Dollimore, Labour MP for Hastings and Rye.
“This huge poll from Create Health Foundation reveals what we all know to be the case: women too often feel unheard by healthcare professionals and under-supported by their employers. When women don’t get the health support they need, it has a huge impact on their lives, and so many women suffer for too long.”
What was required, she said, was “better training for medical staff, better workplace policies and women’s health issues taught in every secondary school as standard”.
The Price of Going Private
The report also exposes the personal financial cost of inadequate NHS access. Long waiting times are prompting many women – especially younger ones – to pay out of pocket.
A third of women waiting for gynaecological care have waited more than six months, and 14% have waited over a year, despite NHS targets stating no one should wait more than 18 weeks.
As a result, one in six (16%) women have paid for private gynaecological treatment; among women aged 18–34, the figure jumps to 28%. Some turn to credit cards, loans or friends to cover the cost, raising questions about equity and access.
Employers Urged to Take the Lead
With the cost of ill-health spilling over into workplace absenteeism, presenteeism and attrition, the report calls for stronger action from employers.
While legislation around menopause, fertility support and pregnancy rights has been slow to evolve, there is growing recognition that employers can’t afford to wait for policy.
Workplace wellbeing observers suggest that businesses should:
- Introduce or enhance women’s health policies
- Train line managers in how to handle sensitive health disclosures
- Provide flexible working options for women managing chronic symptoms
- Promote access to occupational health or external support such as health centres
The Create Health Foundation is also calling for curriculum reform, with 70% of women and 64% of men supporting the inclusion of women’s health topics in schools. Fertility education was backed by 60% of women and 56% of men.
“We need to take a holistic approach, combining necessary structural reforms with long-term education and training, starting with the national curriculum in our schools,” said Professor Nargund. “Employers also have a role to play, providing more support in the workplace and we need to break down silos between government and employers.”