Councillor Aspinall (Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care) introduced the report and discussed:

a)     The Director of Public Health had a statutory duty to produce an independent annual report on the health of the population, and the Council had a duty to publish it;

b)    This was the first annual report from Professor Steve Madden, marking his first year in post;

c)     The theme of the report was the health and well-being of women and girls in Plymouth, highlighting that while women lived longer than men, they spent significantly more years in poor health;

d)    The report was a call to action for councillors, partners, and residents to tackle inequalities and help women in Plymouth to thrive;

e)     The Government was expected to commission a similar report focusing on men in due course.

Professor Steve Madden (Director of Public Health) presented the report and highlighted:

f)      Women in Plymouth lived longer than men but spent more years in poor health, making this an issue of equity, dignity, and opportunity;

g)     Female life expectancy in Plymouth was 82.4 years, close to the national average, but healthy life expectancy was only 55.7 years, nearly six years below the English average;

h)    Thousands of women were living long lives but spent up to 27 years in ill health;

i)      The report was structured around the four petals of the Thrive Plymouth programme: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Places, and Healthy Communities;

j)      Evidence included quantitative data and qualitative insight from 27 Plymouth women who participated in listening circles facilitated by Improving Lives Plymouth;

k)     Key findings included:

                i.         Only 67.6% of women in Plymouth could expect to live in good health compared to 74.5% nationally;

              ii.         Over 36,000 women in Plymouth were likely to experience harassment each year;

             iii.         One in five women were considered disabled under the Equalities Act;

             iv.         80% of women employed in Plymouth earned below the national median salary;

              v.         1,330 young women were not in work or education, significantly higher than male peers;

l)      Mental health was a major concern, with nearly 20,000 women estimated to experience common mental health problems;

m)   Violence against women and girls remained a national priority with profound impacts on health;

n)    Women reported barriers to accessing healthcare including long waits for gynaecological treatment, limited menopause support, and difficulty securing GP appointments, often feeling unheard or dismissed;

o)    The report called for action to strengthen trauma-informed services, improve access to screening and contraception, address gender pay gaps, support women into education and employment, and create safer public spaces;

p)    Councillors were asked to consider how their portfolios could contribute to tackling these challenges;

q)    Improving the health of women and girls was a shared responsibility across the Council and partners.

In response to questions, the Cabinet discussed:

r)     Members welcomed the report and emphasised the need for collective action to improve outcomes for women and girls;

s)     It was noted that existing strategies already addressed some issues, including initiatives under the Thrive Active agenda to encourage girls’ participation in sport, which had long-term benefits for health and family activity levels;

t)     Work was ongoing with economic development and employers to close the gender pay gap and improve household finances;

u)    The Council had led cultural change initiatives, including the “Man Culture” programme, and supported charities working with women with complex needs;

v)     Members highlighted the importance of access to green and blue spaces for mental health and the role of the Nature Plan in improving this;

w)   Concerns were raised about menopause support and the need for GP and health services to engage more effectively, including offering community-based clinics;

x)    The report’s finding that 13 women each month died from preventable causes was described as shocking and required urgent attention;

y)     Members agreed that progress should be reviewed in 12 months to assess improvements.

The Cabinet agreed:

1. To note the content of the Director of Public Health Annual Report;

2. To consider the final reflections and how they can be supported;

3. To acknowledge the contributions from women in the city and the organisations that support them;

4. To commit to considering what more needs to be done to improve the health and well-being of women and girls in Plymouth.