All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s Health: March 22nd 2018

This was the first of what is hoped to be an annual event organised and chaired by MP Paula Sherriff.  The event was well attended – some 130 women from various organisations: Joe’s Cervical Cancer Trust, The Endometriosis Society, the National Association of Premenstrual Syndromes, Verity (for women with PCOS) and of course, Daisy. There was a broad range of speakers and panel members including the Minister of Health, Jackie Doyle-Price, GPs, all three women cardiologist consultants in the country!, the CEO of Eve Appeal; a comedian and teacher, and last but not least, a patient – but not a gynaecologist.

Themes included: the current rationing and fragmentation of NHS services and how women are treated in the NHS. The main take home message for me was finding ways to empower girls and young women – but also boys and men – through accessible language and education. Not only broadening what is taught in schools, but also using social media to counter unhelpful myths and misinformation.

There were many more questions from the floor than could be heard, and unfortunately that included Daisy’s concern around the discrepancy of prescription charges being free for other endocrine conditions, but not for POI. However we managed a quick work in the ear of Paula Sherriff who is certainly aware of the issue and hopefully it will be taken up again. Paula herself had an induced menopause aged 37.