Debate contribution: Women's Health Strategy

Debate contribution by Ms Liz Kimmins on 13 February 2024.

MLA

Ms Liz Kimmins

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

13 February 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Women's Health Strategy

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4206307

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Go raibh maith agat, LeasCheann Comhairle, and congratulations on your new role. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important motion to improve healthcare for women and to address the health inequalities that many women face. I am pleased to hear the Minister's commitment to deliver for women's healthcare. We have heard about a broad range of issues that impact on women, including how some conditions that affect both women and men have a much more detrimental impact on women. We must ensure that those issues do not fall between the cracks any longer. It is abundantly clear that significant gaps exist in women's healthcare, but those gaps are far greater for those women who live in areas of high deprivation. Tackling disadvantage in the context of women's healthcare as a result of deprivation must form part of any forthcoming strategy. Over the past three years, we have seen other parts of these islands bring forward women's health plans. A women's health strategy for England was introduced in the summer of 2022. In the South, the Irish Government have introduced a women's health action plan. The Scottish Government introduced a women's health plan in August 2021. NHS Wales published 'Women's Health in Wales' in November 2022. Unfortunately, we have fallen behind the other jurisdictions at a time that we are aware that, although women on average live longer than men, they spend a significantly greater proportion of their lives in ill health compared with that for men. We are all too aware of the many complex health issues that women and girls face, and those have been described perfectly here today. There needs to be a clear focus on women-specific issues, as is highlighted in today's motion. We saw headlines at the start of the month that outlined the fact that more than 37,000 women were on waiting lists for gynae services, with many waiting over three years for treatment. Just last week, we heard that breast cancer referral targets were being missed, with only 52·9% of urgent referrals being seen within the 14-day target. That means that, during the quarter ending in September 2023, 1,566 women were not seen within the target date. We need to do better for those women and girls. Early detection of breast cancer is key for targeted treatment and for increasing survival rates for women. That is why we must also see the implementation of the cancer strategy, which will undoubtedly help to tackle those issues. As others have highlighted, there needs to be a strong focus on maternity services, as we see increasing numbers of women accessing maternity services across the North. The strategy must recognise the need to ensure the delivery of high-quality, safe services for women and families. The progress on the mother-and-baby unit is also very welcome. The needs and health of women who use maternity services are changing rapidly, and, if improving women's overall health is at the heart of the strategy, that will ensure better outcomes for expectant mothers and their babies. Just a few months back, I had the pleasure of using the fantastic maternity services in Daisy Hill Hospital. I cannot emphasise enough the first-class care that my baby son and I received, from my first scan to the aftercare that I received in the community from the amazing midwives and health visitors. The wide-ranging and growing complexity of the care that maternity services provide cannot be overstated. We now have a real opportunity, as part of this strategy, to underpin improving the health outcomes for mothers and babies, prior to and during the time that they are being cared for by those who are working in maternity services. That will have lifelong benefits for women. As many Members who spoke today have outlined, there is a clear and immediate need for the development of a women's health strategy. It is important that, as that work is progressed by the Minister and the Department, the voices of women and girls are heard and listened to. Any plan or strategy that is brought forward must reflect their views and seek to address the disparities and inequalities that they face across the health and care sector. While any plan or strategy will be primarily for the Department of Health, I appreciate that there may be some overlap with functions in other Departments. I encourage other Ministers and Departments to work collaboratively with the Department of Health to address this important issue. As the incoming Chairperson of the Committee for Health, I want to ensure that there is a clear focus on a women's health strategy. The Committee will work with and support the Minister and the Department where it can and, where needed, will hold the Minister and the Department to account on the key priorities that are brought forward. We will see where that balance is, but I trust that it will be a beneficial working relationship. I ask Members throughout the Chamber to support the motion and the amendment.

834 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:35 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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