Meeting of the Parliament 12 November 2024
Absolutely. It very much helps us all if we work collaboratively in the sphere of women’s health. I hope that we will have a similar level of conversation in the next stage of the abortion law review, which will take us into a slightly different space from the question purely of access. I thought that the conversation that we had on safe access zones was quite grown up and even tempered, and I hope that that can be taken forward on the next issue.
Although I recognise the strides that have been made between 2021 and 2024, I also want to shed light on some critical areas that remain unaddressed or that require more attention. It is important to highlight issues such as access to fertility services, comprehensive support for endometriosis and systemic inequalities in health outcomes for women from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds. The report demonstrates that a stronger focus is also needed on addressing delays in diagnosis for conditions that uniquely or disproportionately affect women and on ensuring equal access to healthcare services across urban and rural areas. There also remain significant data gaps that act as a barrier to understanding and addressing women’s health needs comprehensively. Conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, endometriosis and other underresearched areas still suffer from a lack of robust data, which impedes progress on effective diagnosis and treatment.
Several organisations that are directly involved in improving women’s health have reached out to us, and I will use the short time that I have left to highlight some of their very important observations and asks. #MEAction Scotland highlights that myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome is a complex chronic illness in which 80 per cent of patients are women. It is thought that there are approximately 58,000 cases in Scotland, but that remains an estimate because we continue to lack robust data. There are several reports of women being disbelieved and dismissed by doctors, and diagnosis can take years if it happens at all. #MEAction Scotland points to the need for healthcare education to accurately quantify disease burden, along with the urgent need for data to be collated nationally in order to understand the full picture.
As the motion rightly notes, one of the biggest thank yous should go to all those who have spoken to us about their health issues and their often very long journeys to diagnosis. For many, that journey has already happened or concluded. They often give their experience—sometimes at their own cost—to make sure that no one else has to go through what they did. For some, that has been decades of campaigning, and we should rightly take on their wealth of experience from that.
We must continue to build on the momentum of the 2021 plan to increase awareness of women’s health. The first phase of the plan has provided a solid foundation to build on, but the rest of the work must not be delayed. Women across Scotland are counting on us to continue advocating for them and their rights. Continued commitment to the unmet goals is crucial if we are to fully realise the vision of the women’s health plan and deliver a Scotland where all women can achieve the care that they need.
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