An annual global survey has revealed that the UK has dropped from 30th to 37th place in its global league table, which ranks nations’ performance in five key areas of women’s health and wellbeing.

The Hologic Global Women’s Health Index survey also found that, in 2023, over a billion women worldwide did not visit a healthcare professional. At the same time, only 11% underwent cancer screenings.

Alison Fiander, Women’s Health Programme Lead at education provider Learna, commented: “These findings underscore the urgent need to enhance focus on topics such as preventative measures, pregnancy care and other key areas affecting women’s health, to not only catch up but to set a global standard in the research area.”

The Hologic survey revealed that women in the UK were less likely than those living in EU countries to have received preventative care in the past year. Further, fewer women in the UK received screening for high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, and sexually transmitted infections compared with the EU average.

Fiander continued: “The question needs to be asked: why are we receiving less preventive care in such important areas of healthcare compared to countries across Europe? These findings underscore the critical need for governments, non-governmental organisations, and policymakers to prioritise women’s health and invest in interventions that put women’s best interests first.

“Even where we’re seeing improvements, the pace of progress is far too slow. The UK should be seen as a trailblazer when it comes to providing women’s healthcare. Placing education at the centre of our priorities will undoubtedly reverse the worrying statistics currently being produced by UK healthcare,” she concluded.

Meanwhile, the Nuffield Trust has revealed that, since the pandemic, there has been a 30% increase in the number of people paying out of their own pocket for hospital care in the UK.