Why it matters: The event comes at a critical time when women's health issues are facing significant delays in treatment, with waiting lists now large enough to fill Wembley Stadium eight times over.
The big picture: Let's Talk Women's Health, scheduled for 22 March at The Hold in Ipswich, aims to address what organisers call a "desperate need" to better understand women's health conditions through expert-led talks and workshops.
From the organisers: "At Nuffield Health, we hold regular events for clinicians and members of the public, all of which have highlighted the desperate need for a better understanding of women's health concerns," says co-organiser Katie Winearls. "It has become glaringly obvious that, as women, we often have very little understanding of our own bodies until we are already in the depths of a change or health concern."
Her co-organiser Jen Evans, a soft tissue therapist and menopause advisor, shares her own experience: "In my early forties, I had symptoms of what I now know to be perimenopause, which led to the opening of a Pandora's box of women's health conditions that, even as a woman, I didn't know much about. The incredible women around us are managing these conditions day in, day out, without ever talking about it."
What they're saying: "There's a dangerous mix of medical misogyny and deep-seated systemic ignorance at play here, which is prolonging the suffering of millions of women and stopping them from accessing the care they need," says Amy Peckham-Driver, a speaker at the event who spent over a decade seeking an endometriosis diagnosis.
Dr Julie Kite, a menopause specialist at Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, acknowledges the NHS faces "competing priorities" during "very challenging times" and says that more work is needed to make women's healthcare "accessible to all."
The details: The festival-style event will cover more than ten different women's health topics, including:
Menopause
Breast and skin cancer
Endometriosis
Fertility and reproductive health
Mental wellbeing
Cervical screening
The organisers emphasise the event is open to people of all genders and backgrounds, not just those who identify as female.
Between the lines: The not-for-profit initiative has gained support from local businesses and healthcare providers, including Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, Ascender Creative, and key sponsors MSC and Active Suffolk’s ‘This Girl Can’ project.
Bottom line: While the NHS continues to face unprecedented pressures, this grassroots initiative aims to fill a crucial gap in women's healthcare education and support in Suffolk. Tickets are limited, so grab them while you can at https://LTWH.eventbrite.com.
