Why addressing the women’s health gap matters to us all

For centuries anatomy, physiology and clinical research have focused primarily on male bodies, with female biology often treated as a variation or complication. Women were routinely excluded from clinical trials well into the late 20^th century, and even today sex-disaggregated data is inconsistently analysed or reported. The result is a persistent knowledge gap that affects everything from diagnosis and treatment to service design and innovation.

The evidence is now overwhelming that the health system we have inherited was not designed with the female half of the population in mind – and that this has consequences for outcomes, experience and equity.

We see the impact of this every day. Adverse drug reactions are significantly more common in women. Conditions such as heart disease are more likely to be misdiagnosed or diagnosed late. Common treatments can be less effective for women because they were never properly tested in representative populations. Alongside this, conditions that primarily or disproportionately affect women – such as menopause, heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic health problems and chronic pain have historically been under-researched and under-prioritised, despite their profound impact on quality of life, participation in work and use of health services.

Women may live longer than me, but they also experience poorer health for longer.

This is not just a clinical issue; it is a system issue. About 75% of the NHS workforce is female. When women’s health needs are poorly met, the effects are felt in staff absence, reduced hours, loss of experience and pressure on already stretched services. Improving women’s health is therefore not only the right thing to do for patients, but a critical part of building a sustainable, resilient health system.

At Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley, we help bridge this gap between evidence, innovation and real-world practice. As the health innovation network for our region, we work with the NHS, industry, academia and communities to identify where innovation can genuinely improve care, accelerating adoption and spread where it will make the most difference.

In women’s health, part of this means asking better questions: Are innovations designed and tested in populations that reflect women’s lived experience? Are outcomes analysed separately for women and men? Do new service models recognise how women present, how they navigate care, and the barriers they face? This means we can support systems to look critically at data, pathways and assumptions, and to redesign care where the evidence shows women are being disadvantaged.

However, there are signs that the tide may be turning. The new Women’s Health Strategy demonstrates a renewed government commitment. Tangible change is already happening in the real world. Women’s Health Hubs, for example, are starting to offer a more joined-up, community-based approach to assessment and treatment, particularly for gynaecological conditions – bringing care closer to home and taking pressure off hospital services. But they are not yet everywhere. We are working with partners to understand what good looks like, where provision is uneven and how innovation can support earlier intervention and better experience. Alongside this, we are developing a women’s health innovation cluster programme with Health Innovation Network colleagues across England to bring together clinicians, innovators and system leaders to focus on priority areas for our region.

Improving women’s health is not about creating a parallel system. It is about designing a health system that works properly for everyone. By embedding sex and gender-informed thinking into research, innovation and service design, we can close longstanding gaps in care and unlock benefits for patients, the workforce and the wider economy. This is an agenda that matters to all of us, and one where collaboration, evidence and practical action must go hand in hand.