Hello all, hope you’re all keeping well.

The biggest event of the week for everyone will have been my birthday, as I’ve turned 31. That said, let’s talk about more important things!

Burnley trekkers conquer mountain for East Lancashire Down's Syndrome Support Gr...

First, happy St George’s Day to all who celebrate. But most importantly, I want to use my column this week to cut through the noise happening in Westminster and talk about something really important – women’s health.

Burnley MP Oliver Ryan appeared on Granada Television this week to take part in a discussion about women's health and what the Government is doing to improve healthcare services

I must admit, before I was elected as your MP, I didn’t know enough about women’s health. It’s because of the dedication of women who suffer with a range of conditions across our constituency that I now know the things I do about women’s health.

The stories I’ve heard about dismissal, delays, and endless pain have really troubled me. Women deserve medical professionals that listen to them, and treatment without delay. Treatment without getting to a point where conditions take over lives and without having to fight our healthcare system.

That’s why this week when the Government published their new Women’s Health Strategy that gives women and girls their voice, choice, and power over how they receive their healthcare, I welcomed the strategy by asking Karin Smyth MP, Minister for Secondary Care, to recognise the voices of women from Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield. Their experiences show longstanding failures in women’s health.

Our NHS was broken by the Tories and made worse by broken promises. Too many women are subject to systems that don’t listen to their experiences or understand their needs.

Whether it’s being passed between specialists for pelvic and vaginal mesh, endometriosis or PCOS, poorly managed pain relief, or unacceptable gynaecology waiting lists, the system is failing women. We need to call it like we see it. Medical misogyny must stop.

The renewed Women’s Health Strategy addresses healthcare in the round. It supports all women to lead healthy, and happy lives. There are new and expanded neighbourhood health services that mean care comes closer to home. It also means healthcare that’s more in tune with women’s needs, regardless of postcode.

Better yet – better research. Clinical research and development culture has excluded women for far too long. The new strategy will foster research that works for and with women.

I’m proud to be part of a government that has delivered over five million extra appointments, made emergency hormonal contraception free, and cut the gynaecology waiting list by more than 30,000. But I agree, and I hear you, when you say more needs to be done.

I want to hear from you, and I want to work with you on this. Please make sure you reach out to me if you have any thoughts, issues, or questions by dropping me an email at [email protected] or by attending an office drop in session with a caseworker between 10am-2pm Monday-Thursday.

Until next time!