MP is fighting for care to improve

RECEIVING gynaecological care in the UK is an ‘unacceptable postcode lottery women face’, according to a local MP.

Stephanie Peacock, MP for Barnsley East, said that despite the government’s publication of the Women’s Health Strategy on July 20, more must be done to meet needs.

Stephanie said: “Alongside class, race, and geography – gender can still impact our health outcomes as, too often, the pain women experience is written off as ‘normal’ or something they should just ‘deal with’.

“Because of this, women across the UK have had their needs neglected and have struggled to get proper care from accessing contraception, IVF and HRT, to getting a PCOS diagnosis.

“Amongst other long-term conditions women live with, I am also concerned about the treatment available for endometriosis.

“The same number of people suffer from type one diabetes, yet funding for research into diabetes is 35 times greater.

“It also takes around eight years to receive a diagnosis – this is unacceptable.”

Recently in Parliament, Stephanie asked how the strategy will address the postcode lottery associated with gynaecological wait times.

Secretary of State MP Steve Barclay said: “It is probably about having an ambassador that will be tasked in advocating in that space, having the data to give visibility to that.

“But it is also about working in partnership with commissioning groups, with the NHS and with the Royal Colleges in terms of training to give much greater focus to these issues.”