Women are speaking about their health - who is listening?

Over the past decade, women’s health has become more visible in public debate, yet visibility has not always translated into consistent change in women’s experiences of care. The 2022 DHSC Women’s Health Strategy survey captured thousands of examples of women describing symptoms being dismissed, diagnoses delayed and treatment preferences overlooked. These experiences span a wide range of issues, from menstrual and reproductive health to menopause and mental health, suggesting the challenge may not lie in awareness alone. This session will explore the tension between rising visibility and limited structural change in women’s health, with perspectives on influence and accountability from a media voice reflecting the public conversation around women’s health; a clinician working directly with patients; a system leader responsible for prioritising services within constrained resources; and a legal advocate who sees the consequences when listening fails. Together, these perspectives will explore how public advocacy, clinical expertise, organisational leadership and patient accountability interact when trying to translate listening into action, and whether the central challenge in women’s health is no longer awareness, but how health systems turn listening into prioritisation, accountability and change.