Minister for Health publishes reports from Women's Experiences of Healthcare in Ireland Listening Forum
- Foilsithe: 14 Deireadh Fómhair 2025
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 14 Deireadh Fómhair 2025
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has today published a collection of reports from the Women's Experiences of Healthcare in Ireland Listening Forum. The three reports were commissioned by the Women’s Health Taskforce to support the ongoing drive to improve women’s health services in Ireland.
The initiative involved listening sessions conducted in partnership with the National Women’s Council in order to gather women’s perspectives on healthcare, including specific insights from women in priority groups. The resulting three reports highlight some significant differences in experiences shared by the priority groups, compared to those of the general population.
There were a number of positive experiences reported by women, reflecting extensive investment of €180 million in women’s healthcare since 2020. This has enabled delivery of a suite of new services including specialist menopause clinics, fertility hubs and state-funded Assisted Human Reproduction services, postnatal hubs and the Free Contraception Scheme which provides a free end-to-end contraception service for all women in Ireland aged 17 to 35.
Women also praised the efficiency of the BreastCheck, CervicalCheck and BowelScreen programmes, as well as highlighting positive experiences with maternity services and with the quality and continuity of care provided by GPs, doctors and nurses.
Areas identified for improvement included access to healthcare, the provision of information and being treated with respect and dignity. Crossover themes identified by both the general population and priority groups included a two-tier health system, not being listened to, difficulties when attending/accessing maternity hospitals, feeling dismissed and encountering patriarchal attitudes.
Fieldwork for the study was completed in Spring 2025, prior to the introduction in June 2025 of state-funded Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for women experiencing symptoms of menopause.
Minister Carroll MacNeill said:
"These important reports amplify the voices of women across Ireland and shine a light on both the strengths and challenges within our healthcare service.
"The experiences documented reflect the progress of recent years. The landscape of women’s health services is almost unrecognisable from what it was less than a decade ago. We have a network of fertility hubs, endometriosis and menopause clinics, a growing network of postnatal hubs and see-and-treat gynaecology clinics as well as free contraception and HRT to help reduce the cost burden traditionally associated with being female.
"Awareness and training among healthcare professionals has also improved and I’m pleased to see this highlighted in these reports. However, we must continue to improve, to ensure that all women, regardless of age, location or ethnicity, are afforded timely, quality care delivered with dignity and respect.
"The Women’s Health Fund has supported several initiatives aimed at improving access to and engagement with health services among marginalised groups. In line with the priorities outlined in Budget 2026, we are working to address existing gaps in services through targeted investment in each of the six Health Service Executive Health Regions.
"We must do so in a way that puts the patient at the centre ensuring that every cent invested in women’s healthcare is targeted in a way that achieves the best health outcomes.
"I am grateful to everyone who shared their stories and insights, and to NWCI for its valuable work. This collaboration will bring us all closer to a more equitable health service that supports women’s health and wellbeing across all life stages."
Notes
The “Our Health, Our Voices”: Women’s Experience of Healthcare in Ireland Listening Forum”, a partnership between the Department of Health and the National Women’s Council (NWC), consisted of two workstreams.
Workstream A, led by the Department of Health, focused on broad engagement with women from various backgrounds.
Workstream B, led by the National Women’s Council of Ireland, was a targeted initiative to capture the experiences of women facing significant structural and health inequalities and who are often categorised as priority groups in national policies. These included migrant women, Traveller and Roma women, disabled women, older women, LGBTQ+ individuals (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning), women experiencing homelessness or addiction, and victims and survivors of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV).
While two distinct reports were developed in relation to these workstreams, a joint report examines the key themes which emerged from each workstream. The three reports published from “Our Health, Our Voices”: Women’s Experience of Healthcare in Ireland Listening Forum are:
- Report 1: Insights from General Listening Sessions with Women
- Report 2: Insights from Targeted Listening Sessions with Priority Groups of Women
- Summary Report: Key Insights from Reports 1 and 2
A total of 142 women from all over Ireland participated in these discussions, sharing their experiences of, and wishes for, the Irish health service.
These reports are the result of a priority project for the Women’s Health Taskforce and provide invaluable insight into women’s experiences of healthcare in Ireland.
Women report several positive experiences while also identifying key areas for improvement, particularly related to access, information, respect, and dignity.
Crossover themes included positive experiences, a two-tier health system, not being listened to, difficulties when attending/accessing maternity hospitals, feeling dismissed and encountering patriarchal attitudes.
Women's Health Action Plan
The Women’s Health Action Plan 2024-2025 Phase 2: An Evolution in Women’s Health was published in April 2024. Action 1E committed to holding a structured patient voice forum to capture real-world insights into healthcare access challenges.