Select Committee · Women and Equalities Committee

Reproductive health conditions: girls and young women

Status: Open Opened: 24 Jul 2025 29 recommendations 14 conclusions 1 report

The Committee is following up its previous work on women’s reproductive health, with a focus on better meeting the needs of girls and young women. It is assessing progress in diagnoses, treatments and pain management of conditions including endometriosis, adenomyosis and heavy menstrual bleeding.

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
12th Report – Menstrual health of girls and young women HC 1265 4 Mar 2026 43 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
2 Recommendation 12th Report – Menstrual health of girls… Accepted in Part

The Government should encourage schools to use part of the RSHE grant funding to train...

The Government should encourage schools to use part of the RSHE grant funding to train teachers on the menstrual and gynaecological health elements of the curriculum. The Department for Education should work with the Department of Health and Social Care and stakeholders such as Wellbeing of Women and the Royal … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the importance of effective RSHE delivery and commits for DfE to work with DHSC to ensure menstrual health is considered in further teacher training and resource development. It notes schools can continue using RSHE grant funding for this purpose, but doesn't explicitly …
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Government Equalities Office
14 Recommendation 12th Report – Menstrual health of girls… Accepted in Part

The Government must improve NHS England’s processes for approving and publishing third-party health content.

The Government must improve NHS England’s processes for approving and publishing third-party health content. There is a growing number of expert healthcare professionals putting out accurate, engaging and helpful information on social media that merits wider publication and promotion via official channels. The Government should expand the channels via which … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the importance of improving NHS England’s processes for third-party content but states the NHS already has a robust process, implying no further improvement is needed. It also commits to developing a social media content plan to promote the Women's Health Strategy, …
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Government Equalities Office
40 Recommendation 12th Report – Menstrual health of girls… Accepted in Part

We are concerned that women’s health hubs have not been specified in the 2025/6 operational...

We are concerned that women’s health hubs have not been specified in the 2025/6 operational planning guidance. There is a high risk that without a central requirement to deliver women’s health hubs, and with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) required to find substantial efficiency savings, they will be scaled back or … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government partially accepts the recommendation to protect women's health hubs and prevent service rollbacks. It commits to a renewed national commitment to hubs and increased accountability in the refreshed Women's Health Strategy but rejects additional ringfenced funding, believing Integrated Care Boards are best placed …
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Government Equalities Office
41 Recommendation 12th Report – Menstrual health of girls… Accepted in Part

The renewed Women’s Health Strategy should include a refreshed national commitment to women’s health hubs...

The renewed Women’s Health Strategy should include a refreshed national commitment to women’s health hubs across England. We recommend the Government invest at least the same amount as in 2023–25 (£25 million) in ringfenced Integrated Care Board funding for women’s health hubs. 77 This should come with increased accountability, including … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government partially accepts the recommendation, committing to a renewed national commitment to women’s health hubs in the refreshed Women's Health Strategy, with a focus on extending benefits and increasing accountability. However, it rejects additional ringfenced funding for hubs beyond existing investment, deferring resource allocation …
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Government Equalities Office

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
3 Feb 2026 Baroness Merron · Department of Health and Social Care, Dr Sue Mann · NHS England, Tabitha Jay · Department for Health and Social Care View ↗
21 Jan 2026 Dr Sue Mann · NHS England, Professor Dame Lesley Regan View ↗
17 Dec 2025 Charlotte Porter · The College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, Kate Lancaster · Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), Professor Margaret Ikpoh · Royal College of General Practitioners, Ruth Bailey · Women's Health Forum, Royal College of Nursing View ↗
3 Dec 2025 Chella Quint OBE, Dr Aziza Sesay, Dr Nighat Arif, Dr Tori Ford · Medical Herstory, Kerry Wolstenholme View ↗
19 Nov 2025 Dr Nandi Simpson · NHS Race and Health Observatory, Emma Cox · Endometriosis UK, Janet Lindsay · Wellbeing of Women, Katharine Gale · Menstrual Health Coalition View ↗

Who gave evidence

17 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Dr Sue Mann · National Clinical Director for Women's Health NHS England 2
Baroness Merron · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women'… Department of Health and Social Care 1
Charlotte Porter · Vice President VP (Specialty) The College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare 1
Chella Quint OBE 1
Dr Aziza Sesay 1
Dr Nandi Simpson · Director of Implementation NHS Race and Health Observatory 1
Dr Nighat Arif 1
Dr Tori Ford · Founder and Executive Director Medical Herstory 1
Emma Cox · Chief Executive Officer Endometriosis UK 1
Janet Lindsay · Chief Executive Wellbeing of Women 1
Kate Lancaster · Chief Executive Officer Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) 1
Katharine Gale · Co-chair Menstrual Health Coalition 1
Kerry Wolstenholme 1
Professor Dame Lesley Regan 1
Professor Margaret Ikpoh · Vice Chair, Professional Standards, Training and … Royal College of General Practitioners 1
Ruth Bailey · Chair Women's Health Forum, Royal College of Nursing 1
Tabitha Jay · Director for Mental Health, Disabilities, Women’s… Department for Health and Social Care 1