CASE STUDY

Menstrual Health Coalition

How PLMR Healthcomms the Menstrual Health Coalition Transformed Menstrual Health into a National Priority, achieving a highly commended at the 2024 Communique Awards

Client

Menstrual Health Coalition

Sector

Services provided

The Situation

Menstrual health disorders, affecting one in five women, have long been underfunded and ignored, classified as “Cinderella conditions” due to persistent stigma and a lack of awareness. These issues disproportionately affect women in socioeconomically deprived areas, exacerbating health inequalities.

The COVID-19 pandemic worsened these challenges, with gynaecology waiting lists growing by 60% between 2018 and 2022, leaving a third of a million women waiting for care. Despite the widespread impact of menstrual health issues—affecting professional lives and costing the economy £531 million annually—the subject remained absent from the Government’s policy agenda.

The UK Government’s announcement of the Women’s Health Strategy in March 2021 presented an opportunity to prioritise menstrual health. However, with multiple stakeholders vying for attention, the Menstrual Health Coalition (MHC) needed a clear, unified strategy to ensure menstrual health was at the forefront of the policy discussion.

What we did

Mobilising Patient Voices:

Partnered with over 20 patient organisations to amplify grassroots advocacy, resulting in 47% of Women’s Health Strategy Call for Evidence respondents prioritising menstrual health.

Convened a parliamentary roundtable with 25 high-level stakeholders, chaired by Sarah Champion MP, to unite voices around a joint Call to Action

Targeted Advocacy:

Secured engagement with influential decision-makers, including the Women’s Health Ambassador and NHS England’s Inequalities Team.

Briefed MHC’s Chair to present evidence to the Women and Equalities Select Committee, ensuring menstrual health remained a priority in high-level policy discussions.

A Data Driven Approach: 

  • Developed evidence-based advocacy materials combining Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data, clinical research, and personal testimonies to underline the societal and economic impact of menstrual health disorders.

The Result

1.Policy Recognition: Menstrual health explicitly named as a key theme in the Women’s Health Strategy and prioritised in its second year of implementation.

2.New Resources: £25 million allocated to establish women’s health hubs, with plans to open at least one in every Integrated Care System by the end of 2024.

3.Influence Amplified: MHC’s former chair appointed UK Women’s Health Ambassador, reinforcing the Coalition’s impact and policy reach.

Impact:
By uniting diverse voices, leveraging compelling data, and strategically engaging policymakers, the MHC not only elevated menstrual health on the national agenda but also secured tangible improvements to care pathways, funding, and resources, transforming the lives of millions of women.

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