Counting the cost: The economic impact of underserving women’s health

Ignoring women’s health at work is estimated to cost the UK over £20.2 billion every year. Just a 5% increase in women’s employment could unlock £125 billion in GDP¹, making women’s health not a niche agenda to address health inequality – but a social priority and clear economic growth strategy.¹

Women account for 51% of the UK’s population, yet our health system continues to operate on a ‘male default’, leading to systemic delayed diagnosis, barriers to care, and underfunded conditions that impact women’s ability to participate in society and the economy.¹

New research from Re:State’s – Counting the cost: The economic impact of underserving women’s health – supported by UCB UK & Ireland, highlights the scale of this challenge.

The wider societal cost is substantial – conditions as frequent as heavy and painful periods alone account for £11 billion in missed workdays annually, while up to 86 million workdays are lost annually due to migraines, which disproportionately affect women.¹

Focusing on three priorities could transform outcomes for women and the UK economy:

👉 Share and spread innovation

Women’ health services – particularly in reproductive and gynaecological care – remain under-resourced. Yet evidence shows a potential strong return on investment (ROI) in these areas – with £11 returned for every £1 invested in an Integrated Care Board’s (ICB) gynaecology services. Scaling proven models, including nurse-led and peer-to-peer approaches, can improve access while easing system pressure.¹

👉 Reflect reality in research

It was as recent as 2014 when including female animals and cells into clinical research became routine practice² – much of our medical understanding is still based on male biology. Greater investment in women-specific research is essential to close this gap, particularly in high-burden conditions disproportionately affecting them.

👉 Evolve clinical practice

Bias in research has translated to bias in education and care, with a staggering 84% of women surveyed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) reporting feeling dismissed by healthcare professionals.¹ Addressing this requires better training and support for the NHS workforce, clearer pathways and faster access to appropriate treatment.

The Government’s renewed policy focus on women’s health, including the recently published Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England, provides the platform for developing change. Re:State’s research outlines a roadmap to achieve this.

The opportunity is to act now – collectively and at scale.

References:

1. Re:State. Counting the cost: The economic impact of underserving women’s health. Available at: https://re-state.co.uk/publications/counting-the-cost-the-economic-impact-of-underserving-womens-health/, June 2026 

2. Monica J. Justice; Sex matters in preclinical research. Dis Model Mech 1 March 2024; 17 (3): dmm050759. doi: https://doi.org/10.1242/dmm.050759

IE-OT-2600079 | June 2026