Women’s health outcomes slipping as government sets out strategy to keep more people in work 

The UK government has set out a renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England, warning that poor health outcomes among women are contributing to economic inactivity. 

The strategy highlights a decline in female health outcomes, with the UK falling from 20th to 26th place for female life expectancy among OECD countries between 2000 and 2022, while healthy life expectancy for women has also dropped in recent years. 

Women are also spending more of their lives in poor health than men, with significant inequalities linked to income and ethnicity, including an 8.4-year gap in life expectancy between the most and least deprived groups. 

The government warns that these health challenges are not just a clinical issue but a workforce and productivity concern. Poor health is a key driver of economic inactivity, with conditions such as musculoskeletal issues, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mental health problems increasing the likelihood of people leaving the labour market. 

Women account for a significant proportion of this rise in inactivity, underlining the link between workplace health, retention and economic performance. 

The strategy sets out a series of actions aimed at improving access to care, speeding up diagnosis and supporting women to stay in work. These include reducing waiting times, improving clinical pathways and shifting more care into community settings to improve access and flexibility. 

There is also a focus on prevention and early intervention, including better support for menopause, menstrual health and long-term conditions, alongside investment in digital tools and new workforce models within the NHS. 

Crucially, the strategy acknowledges that the current system is not designed around women’s needs, with evidence showing delays in diagnosis, including an average wait of more than nine years for endometriosis diagnosis in the UK. 

The strategy reinforces the role of work as both a health outcome and a driver of health, suggesting that improving access to support could help reduce economic inactivity while supporting business performance. 

This creates a growing expectation on employers to respond, particularly as more people manage long-term conditions alongside work. 

For workplace wellbeing providers, the shift presents a clear opportunity to support organisations with more targeted, condition-specific interventions, particularly around menopause, mental health and preventative care. 

However, it also raises questions about capacity. With HR and people teams already under pressure, the success of the strategy will depend on how effectively employers are supported to translate national policy into practical, scalable workplace solutions. 

As the boundary between public health and workplace wellbeing continues to blur, the strategy signals a move towards a more integrated model, where employers play a central role in supporting population health across the UK workforce.