Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee
Conclusion 45
1st Report - Women's reproductive health conditions
Published 11 Dec 2024
Paragraph 163
Addressed to Government Equalities Office
Women and Equalities Committee Women's reproductive health conditions All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
There remains a postcode lottery of access in primary care to long-acting reversible contraception. As a result, some women are having to seek care from secondary or community services, leading to delays in treatment and an unnecessary burden on secondary care. This is a preventable cost to the system and to the wellbeing of the individual. While the establishment of women’s health hubs may go some way to addressing this concern, in areas where hubs are not established other solutions will be required.
From: Women and Equalities Committee, 1st Report - Women's reproductive health conditions (HC 337), paragraph 163, 11 December 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 5 March 2025 (deadline 11 February 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government "welcomes" the Committee's report on women's reproductive health conditions and says its response details its position on the recommendations and the work it is doing so that "everyone receives the care that they deserve".
- The government says it recognises "how important this topic is" and is grateful to those who contributed to the inquiry.
- It states that, despite reproductive health conditions being "very common", women and girls "still face challenges accessing care".
- It lists issues the report highlights, including a lack of awareness of what a 'normal' period is, delayed diagnoses, and the need for more research.
- It also lists the importance of education and continued professional development for healthcare professionals among the issues the report highlights.