The government has appointed a dedicated women’s health ambassador to help reduce health inequality in England after a consultation in 2021 found a shocking gender gap in healthcare services.

Dame Lesley Regan, who is also a practicing doctor, wants to make it easier for women and girls to access care such as contraception and smear tests in the community. She will also support the government-led w omen’s-health strategy, which, amongst other priorities, aims to improve access to hormone-replacement therapy amidst ongoing shortages across the UK.

Over 100,000 responses to the government’s inquiry that was released at the end of last year revealed that many women felt they were not listened to by health professionals, and were not supported well when dealing with health conditions.

Nearly two in three respondents with a health condition or disability said they did not feel supported, and felt that services for conditions which only affect women are of lower priority than general health.

Gender health gap: who is England’s first women’s health ambassador?