Every Woman’s Health Matters: New report calls for better women’s health care across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire and Healthwatch Rutland have launched ‘Every Woman’s Health Matters,’ a new report highlighting women’s experiences of health and care and what needs to change across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR).
The report brings together over 3,000 individual contributions from surveys and focus groups, covering issues including mental health, gynaecological health, menopause, cancer, pregnancy loss, postnatal support and healthy ageing.
Women want to be heard and taken seriously
The findings reveal significant barriers to accessing care and concerns about how women’s health needs are understood and addressed.
Key findings include:
- 50% of main survey respondents had delayed or avoided seeking care because of access issues.
- 38% had delayed care because of previous negative experiences or fear of not being taken seriously.
- Only 44% always or often felt listened to by health professionals.
- 24% found it difficult to access reliable information about women’s health.
Women described delays in appointments, referrals and investigations, difficulties navigating services and having to repeat their experiences to different professionals. Some felt their concerns were dismissed or attributed to factors such as age, hormones, weight or anxiety.
The report also highlights how transport, caring responsibilities, language, disability and reliance on digital services can make accessing care more difficult. While women shared examples of excellent care, experiences varied considerably.
Turning women’s experiences into action
The report calls for local health and care partners to work together to:
- Improve access to appointments, referrals and specialist support.
- Strengthen professional knowledge so women’s health concerns are understood and taken seriously.
- Improve communication and continuity between services.
- Strengthen prevention and early intervention.
- Make information and community-based support more accessible to women from different backgrounds and circumstances.
The findings will help inform the ongoing development of women’s health services through the LLR Women’s Health Transformation Programme, supporting local partners to identify where improvements are most needed.
Working together to improve women’s health
The report was launched following its presentation at the Women’s Partnership meeting on 14 October 2026, bringing its findings and recommendations to partners involved in shaping local women’s health services.
Harsha Kotecha, Chair of Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire, said: “The Every Woman’s Health Matters survey has given women and girls across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland a powerful voice in shaping the future of local health and care. Their experiences show where change is needed and they now provide a clear foundation for action. By listening, learning and working together, we can build more accessible, compassionate and joined-up services where every woman is heard, taken seriously and able to get the care she needs.”
Alan Walters, Chair of Healthwatch Rutland, said: “Women in Rutland have told us clearly that getting the right care at the right time is still too difficult, particularly for disabled women and those without their own transport. Their experiences show how important it is that women feel listened to, receive better continuity of care and improved specialist support for women-only healthcare issues.”
Maria Laffan, Chief Nurse at NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB, said: “First and foremost, we would like to thank the women who took the time to share their experiences, views and ideas with us. Your views are incredibly important to us and will help shape the future of women's services across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland.
We would also like to thank Healthwatch for leading this engagement programme and helping to ensure that women's voices were heard. Special thanks go to our Public Health colleagues for their ongoing support and leadership, which has been crucial in driving positive change across our communities.
We are confident that, through shared responsibility, continued collaboration, and a unified vision, we can build a system that truly meets the needs of women at every stage of life.”
Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire and Healthwatch Rutland will continue to work with local health and care partners to support future service improvements.
