Women's Health in Practice: Case Studies for Better Care

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s Health are pleased to launch the first in our new series of best practice case studies, commencing with reports into menopause and endometriosis. 

As the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England and the 10-Year Health Plan place fresh emphasis on improving women’s health services, the next step in making a practical difference is to move from identifying longstanding challenges, to sharing solutions that can be adopted and adapted across the system.

This means highlighting models of care that reduce variation, support primary and community services, and help women and girls to receive timely and appropriate care. The APPG on Women’s Health’s series of case studies is intended to do just this, in support of the Government’s delivery agenda; bringing together examples of best practice from across the system that can then be shared, adapted, and scaled by policymakers, ICBs, and providers. 

This first set of case studies focuses on two high-priority pathways: endometriosis and menopause. Despite growing public and political attention, both are areas where women continue to experience variation, delay, and fragmentation. These case studies highlight how local NHS teams in London and Yorkshire are redesigning pathways to strengthen primary care capability and improve access to diagnostics and specialist advice: helping women and girls to receive the right care, in the right setting, at the right time.  

You can read the case studies below – for any questions, or suggestions of further case study subject areas, get in touch via appgwh@plmr.co.uk.  

Annual General Meeting - December 1st 2025

On December 1st 2025 the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s Health held its Annual General Meeting, to formally reconstitute the Group.

The following officers were re-elected:

  • Gill Furniss MP: Chair

  • Jo Platt MP: Officer

  • Caroline Dineage MP: Officer

  • Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Officer

The AGM was attended by:

  • Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Officer)

  • Emily Darlington MP

  • Gill Furniss MP (Chair)

  • Mary Glindon MP

  • Tanmanjeet Singh Desi MP

  • Michael Wheeler MP

  • James Wild MP

The Group’s income and expenditure form, and due diligence form, were both formally approved.

APPG on Women's Health Hosts Drop-In on Women's Health Priorities

On 19th November 2025, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s Health hosted a drop-in event in Portcullis House, welcoming Parliamentarians and representatives from industry, patient groups, professional bodies, and clinicians.

This event provided an opportunity to bring together stakeholders from across the women’s health space, to discuss how to embed women’s health priorities within the 10 Year Health Plan, and to share ambitions for the next phase of women and girls’ health policy.

Attendees were also invited to write short notes on what they would like to see prioritised in a renewed Women’s Health Strategy, and to reflect on how the health system can better deliver for women and girls in England. Consistent calls repeated in these notes include the need to:

  • Simplify access to women’s health services and streamline referral pathways, including through better-funding Women’s Health Hubs

  • Improve training and education for healthcare professionals in women’s health conditions, and ensure greater consistency in training across ICBs

  • Make prevention and early intervention a core pillar of women’s health policy, with a shift towards proactive, not reactive, care

  • Focus on delivery, not ambition: provide clearer guidance on local implementation, and defined metrics to ensure accountability

  • Fund more, and more inclusive, research - particularly into gynaecological conditions

  • Embed women’s lived experiences when designing services, and continue to listen to women when drafting policy

  • Highlight the close link between women’s health and economic participation - supporting women to thrive in the workplace

It was welcome to see cross-sector colleagues coming together to discuss the future of women’s health policy. Conversations demonstrated a clear, shared understanding of both the opportunities ahead and the challenges that women and girls continue to face, and emphasised, above all, the importance of continuing to facilitate cross-sector engagement.

APPG Event Highlights Urgent Need for Progress on Ovarian Cancer

The APPG on Women’s Health Spotlight Campaign on Ovarian Cancer and its associated materials/activities have been commissioned and funded by AbbVie UK. 

On 25th November 2025, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Women’s Health welcomed Parliamentarians, patient groups, clinicians and policy experts to a parliamentary drop-in event marking the launch of its new position paper, Can We Fix Ovarian Cancer Without Fixing Women’s Health?

Hosted by Gill Furniss MP, the APPG Chair, the event provided an opportunity for attendees to discuss the urgent need to improve outcomes for the 7,400 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, and to explore the paper’s recommendations.

Key themes discussed

The position paper — informed by charities, clinical experts and advocates — highlights the need for:

  • a national shift in mindset to take women’s symptoms seriously;

  • improvements to the ovarian cancer diagnostic pathway;

  • more rapid and specialised treatment, supported by genomic and biomarker testing.

Attendees also explored the APPG’s call for ambitious national targets to drive system-wide progress.

With the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, the event emphasised the importance of prioritising ovarian cancer within wider women’s health policy. The APPG will continue working with Parliamentarians and sector partners to push for meaningful change.

The full position paper is available to download here.

APPG on Women’s Health Launches Position Paper on Ovarian Cancer

Today, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Women’s Health launches its new position paper, Can We Fix Ovarian Cancer Without Fixing Women’s Health?, at a parliamentary event in the House of Commons.

The paper highlights how the persistent challenges in ovarian cancer including late diagnosis, unequal access to treatment, and poor survival rates reflect broader systemic issues in women’s health. Drawing on evidence from patient groups, clinicians and experts, it sets out clear recommendations for Government and the NHS to deliver earlier diagnosis, more equitable access to care, and stronger national leadership.

The report calls for a shift in mindset to prioritise women’s health, improved coordination between primary and secondary care, and the development of more specialised ovarian cancer treatment pathways. It also urges the Government to set ambitious national targets to improve survival and outcomes for women across the UK.

The APPG looks forward to working with Parliamentarians, policymakers and the wider women’s health community to ensure ovarian cancer and women’s health remain at the heart of national policy.

The APPG on Women’s Health Spotlight Campaign on Ovarian Cancer and its associated materials/activities have been commissioned and funded by AbbVie.

Ovarian Cancer Spotlight: Evidence Session

The APPG on Women’s Health met on 9th September 2025 to discuss ovarian cancer. The meeting brought together parliamentarians, charities, representatives of professional bodies, the Government and industry to discuss challenges in ovarian cancer, the wider systemic issues in women’s health, and the opportunities to drive change.

The discussion highlighted the UK’s comparatively poor outcomes for ovarian cancer, with lower survival rates, later-stage diagnoses, long delays in treatment and stark inequalities across age, ethnicity and geography. The meeting closed with a commitment to produce a position paper to capture priorities and recommendations that will be launched in Parliament on 25th November.

The APPG on Women’s Health Spotlight Campaign on Ovarian Cancer and its associated materials/activities have been commissioned and funded by AbbVie.

Meeting between the Women’s Health APPG and the Patient Safety Commissioner

On 26 March, the APPG on Women’s Health met with Patient Safety Commissioner Henrietta Hughes to discuss improving transparency, informed consent, and patient-centred care. Key themes included restorative approaches to safety, better access to information, and joined-up care pathways—particularly for women affected by issues such as valproate exposure. The PSC emphasised partnership working and committed to supporting the APPG’s ongoing focus on consent and safety.

The Power of Informed Choice: A Call to Action for Women’s Health Equity

On Wednesday 2nd of April, the Women’s Health APPG held the launch of its Call to Action for Women’s Health Equity, The Power of Informed Choice and launched its new report. Informed choice is a fundamental principle of good healthcare. Yet too many women in the UK lack the information and support they need to make decisions about their health, treatment, and care. Six years after the APPG on Women’s Health’s 2017 report, which highlighted systemic failings in the provision of information and patient support, progress remains painfully slow for women across the country.

This report outlines ongoing barriers and potential solutions to ensuring that informed decision-making is embedded in every aspect of women’s healthcare. Drawing on insights from three expert-led information gathering sessions on menstrual wellbeing, pregnancy, and menopause, the APPG sets out clear recommendations for NHS England and the Government to drive real change.

Read the full report here.

Dr Rupa Huq MP, Chair of the APPG on Sexual and Reproductive Health, said

“The findings of this report make it clear that women’s health has far too long been sidelined; a situation which risks becoming the norm so urgent action is needed to ensure all women have access to the information and services they need. I strongly support the APPG on Women’s Health’s call for greater investment in training, better integration of services, and improved access to high-quality, culturally appropriate healthcare information. We must seize this opportunity with the changed government to drive real change and address the recommendations outlined in the report.”

Meeting of the Women's Health APPG - February 11th 2025

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s Health held a meeting of the Officers and Members on Tuesday 11th February 2025. Gill Furniss MP chaired the meeting which focussed on an upcoming Call to Action on informed choice and ongoing efforts to raise awareness of women’s health inequalities.

Please find the minutes linked below for further details.

Inaugural General Meeting - October 8th 2024

Inaugural General Meeting - October 8th 2024

On October 8th October at 2pm the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s Health held its Inaugural General Meeting, to formally constitute the group. There was a formal election of officers and the Group's income and expenditure statement for publication was agreed. Please see below for the full minutes.

The following officers were elected:

  • Gill Furniss MP: Chair

  • Kirith Entwistle MP: Officer

  • Jo Platt MP: Officer

  • Caroline Dineage MP: Officer

Unleashing the Power of Informed Decision-Making: Pregnancy

On Wednesday 7th February, the All-Party Parliamentary Group held its second roundtable in its series dedicated to championing informed choice, ensuring that women have the agency and knowledge to shape their own lives.

Spotlighting pregnancy the event aimed to gather information to reflect on what has changed since the APPG’s report in 20217 and what can be done to improve informed decision making for women.

We were delighted to hear from the following speakers: Jane Plumb, Women’s Voices Lead and Women’s Network Chair at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; Dr Janet Nooney, Expert Scientific Assessor, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency; and Ruth Unstead Joss who will spoke on her lived experience of dealing with diabetes during pregnancy.  

Attendees included representatives from following organisations:

  • Royal College of Nursing

  • Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

  • Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health

  • Royal College of Midwives

  • British Pregnancy Advisory Service

  • Wellbeing of Women

  • Royal College of General Practitioners  

  • Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

  • Department of Health and Social Care

  • Parliamentarians

We will be collating the evidence from the session to input into our Call to Action on informed choice, as part of our ongoing series.

Unleashing the Power of Informed Decision-Making: Menstrual Wellbeing - November 2023

On Wednesday 15th November the All-Party Parliamentary Group marked the commencement of its series dedicated to championing informed choice, ensuring that women have the agency and knowledge to shape their own lives.

Spotlighting menstrual wellbeing the event aimed to gather information to reflect on what has changed since the APPG’s report in 20217 and what can be done to improve informed decision making for women.

Key note remarks were made by Gill Furniss MP Co-Chair of the APPG, Jane Plumb, Women’s Voices Lead, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and Dr Véronique Griffith MD/PhD, lecturer, researcher, author and patient with endometriosis.

Attendees will have the opportunity to share insights and network with a range of stakeholders to contribute to the APPG’s Call to Action, which will aim to shape the Government’s understanding of women’s menstrual health conditions.

Annual General Meeting - April 2023

Annual General Meeting - April 2023

On Tuesday 25th April at 2pm the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women's Health held its Annual General Meeting. There was a formal election of officers and the Group's income and expenditure statement for publication was agreed.

A Joint Event of the APPG's with an interest in Women's Health

A Joint Event of the APPG's with an interest in Women's Health

Following the publication of the Women’s Health Strategy in July 2022, the APPG on Women’s Health hosted a hybrid meeting with the Chairs of APPGs with an interest in women’s health. The event provided an opportunity for parliamentarians and stakeholders to discuss the implementation of the recommendations in the Strategy.

18th May 2022 - Women's Health APPG Meeting: AGM

On Wednesday 18th May 09:30 the Women’s Health APPG held its Annual General Meeting. Liz Trust MP chaired the meeting and Cherilyn Mackrory MP and Gill Furniss MP were elected as Co-chairs of the Group. The following individuals were elected or re-elected as Officers for the group:

  • Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie

  • Baroness Masham of Ilton

  • Kate Osborne MP

  • Jess Phillips MP

  • Nickie Aiken MP

  • Rosie Duffield MP

  • Sharon Hodgson MP

In the AGM, the Group’s statement and income expenditure forms were agreed by those present.

25th May 2021 - Women's Health APPG Meeting: AGM

On Tuesday 25th May from 10:30-11:00am, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women's Health will hold its virtual Annual General Meeting. There will be the formal election of officers and the Group's income and expenditure statement will be agreed for publication.

29th January 2020 - Women's Health APPG Meeting AGM

On Wednesday, 29th January 2020 from 15:00-16:00pm, in Room U (Portcullis House), the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women's Health held its Annual General Meeting. There was a formal election of officers and the Group's income and expenditure statement for publication was agreed.

The WHAPPG hosts its second annual parliamentary conference

The WHAPPG are proud to have hosted its second Women’s Health Conference in Parliament to mark the week of International Women’s Day. 

The Conference took place on the 4th March 2019 to raise the profile of women’s health and surrounding issues within parliament and brought together MPs, patient groups, industry, clinical experts and many others for three panel discussions on prominent topics surrounding women’s health:

  • Women’s Health Inequalities – a discussion on the inequalities in women’s healthcare, the way women are treated by healthcare professionals.

  • Transforming Menstrual Health – a discussion on menstrual health and heavy menstrual bleeding in particular, the barriers in place for access to treatment and tackling pathway challenges

  • Awareness, Education and Informed Choice – a discussion on the way to spread awareness of conditions amongst women, encouraging women to feel empowered to speak up about health issues with their healthcare professionals, the need to educate healthcare professionals and ensure women have an informed choice about their own healthcare at all points,.

Together, panelists and attendees discussed health issues pertinent to women and how to tackle these. The conference also heard from Jackie Doyle-Price, Minister for Women's Health; and Jon Ashworth, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

The conference provided a forum to discuss key issues around women’s health, as well as an opportunity for guests to network. In addition, there was a showcase of patient groups who displayed the work being undertaken to support women to make informed choices about their healthcare.

You can learn more about the conference by checking the tweets that used the hashtags #TalkingWH and #WHConf2019.

AGM: WHAPPG holds election of officers

On the 16th July 2018, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women's Health held it's Annual General Meeting, in which the following Members of Parliament were elected as officers of the group:

  1. Paula Sherriff MP - Chair
  2. Paul Scully MP - Vice-Chair
  3. Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP - Vice-Chair
  4. Liz McInnes MP - Vice-Chair
  5. Alison Thewliss MP - Vice-Chair

The WHAPPG is delighted to continue working to raise issues of women's health.