Some of you may have seen my update last month about the consultation the Government launched on the upcoming Women's Health Strategy.
In time, this will set out an ambitious agenda on women’s health, aiming to tackle existing health inequalities and support the Government's commitment to extend healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035.
There has already been a huge number of responses, with over 50,000 women, organisations, clinicians and carers sharing their experiences of our health and social care system, including women from across East Surrey.
But early analysis shows that Asian women, other women of colour, and women who are over 50 are underrepresented.
In Britain, women have a longer life expectancy than men, but they also spend a greater proportion of their lives in ill health and disability. In recent years, healthy life expectancy has also fallen for women but has remained stable for men.
Indeed, for generations women have been living in a health and social care system primarily designed by men, for men.
So I would urge every woman, if they have not yet done so, to come forward and share their experiences. Consultations like this are vital in making sure the system works for everyone across our society.
