A staggering 84% of women in a recent UK government survey reported feeling unheard by healthcare professionals, a damning statistic that resonated powerfully with a Loose Women poll revealing a similar sentiment among their audience – 77% have felt dismissed by a doctor. This alarming consensus paints a grim picture of a healthcare system where women’s voices, symptoms, and concerns are routinely overlooked, leading to potentially dangerous misdiagnoses and prolonged suffering. The panel’s discussion exposed a systemic failure to listen, ranging from superficial assessments to a shocking lack of empathy in dealing with complex female health issues.

The conversation kicked off with a panelist sharing her own terrifying experience from last year. After suffering an “awful reaction around my eyes,” her GP prescribed a strong steroid cream, which, she later learned, should not be used heavily around the eyes. The cream “burnt all around my eyes,” forcing her to seek a specialist. The specialist revealed the external reaction was merely a symptom of a deeper, systemic issue: “Essentially, my body was shutting down. I was so tired and not getting much sleep, I was low in loads of vitamins.” The specialist warned that without intervention, she “would have collapsed in a couple of years and I wouldn’t have known the reason why.”

The initial GP appointment, she lamented, failed to consider the internal factors. “They’d been looking at the external rather than the internal and didn’t really ask any other questions about it whatsoever.” It was only through seeking specialized help, driven by the severity of her symptoms (her skin was weeping so much she couldn’t wear makeup), that the root cause was identified. “It turned out that my it was a sign of my body slowly but surely shutting down.” This personal account underscored the critical need for doctors to look beyond surface symptoms and engage in thorough, holistic questioning.

Another panelist, admitting to pushing herself “really hard” for her age, echoed the sentiment of feeling “washed out” but unable to pinpoint the cause through conventional GP visits. She emphasized the critical importance of patient advocacy: “You have to own your own health, and my message today to viewers would be: own your own health, don’t be afraid to ask questions and keep pushing.” She also advised recording consultations with specialists, citing a cautionary tale of her mother who, years ago, was incorrectly told by an eye specialist that she didn’t have a tumour, a miscommunication that could have been avoided with a recording.

The conversation then took a powerful turn towards mental health, particularly postnatal depression (PND). One panelist recounted a deeply traumatic experience after the birth of her son, Matty, when she was severely ill with PND. Her mother took her to the doctor, describing her as “almost catatonic” and “on the verge of a purple psychosis.” The GP, an older woman, responded with astonishing insensitivity: “Well, I had five children, dear, and I just didn’t have time to get depressed.“

This shocking dismissal not only invalidated the panelist’s profound suffering but perpetuated a dangerous myth about PND – that it’s a choice or a weakness, rather than a severe medical condition often rooted in hormonal or chemical imbalances. “I have spent all of the time over my life trying to convince people that this doesn’t this comes on of its own accord, it doesn’t always have a reason,” she passionately asserted.

The discussion then pivoted to Bella Hadid’s recent controversial comments in Vogue, where the supermodel, who lives with endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), suggested it should be “illegal to model while on her period” and advocated for women getting time off during menstruation. This sparked a nuanced debate on the fine line between acknowledging genuine suffering and inadvertently playing into misogynistic narratives that deem women “uncapable” due to their menstrual cycles.

While acknowledging the risk of such narratives pushing women “back” and feeding into misogyny, the panel made a crucial distinction. For women with “normal periods,” advocating for time off might be seen as excessive. However, for those suffering from debilitating conditions like endometriosis and PCOS, the reality is vastly different. One panelist shared her sister’s harrowing journey with high-grade endometriosis, involving “multiple surgeries” and “many years of push back of… doctors not taking her seriously.” These chronic conditions, she stressed, profoundly affect a woman’s “ability to work.”

The conversation highlighted the government’s belated efforts, with the Labour government reportedly “bringing in various different things into the system to try and improve the outcomes for women when it comes to things like heavy periods and things like polycystic ovaries and endometriosis.” However, the question remains: is it “too late” for the many women who have suffered for “many, many years without all this extra help”?

The shocking realities faced by women were further underscored by an anecdote about a hairdresser with severe bleeding being turned away from A&E because they “haven’t got any pads here.” This highlights a profound lack of basic care and understanding within the healthcare system.

The grim statistics further illustrate the crisis: despite claims of progress and investment in maternity units, waiting lists for gynaecology appointments across the UK have more than doubled in the last five years. Problems range from endometriosis to incontinence, a condition affecting approximately 3 million women in the UK, yet remains largely shrouded in embarrassment and silence.

Denise Welch, with characteristic bravery, shared her own candid experience with incontinence, referring to it as “giggle dribble.” She emphasized using her platform to normalize the conversation, revealing how countless women have approached her, grateful for her openness. Incontinence, she stressed, is not exclusively linked to childbirth and affects women of all ages, including teenagers.

The panel introduced the concept of Kegel exercises (or pelvic floor exercises), with one panelist admitting she had never heard of them until her gynaecologist, during a routine check, advised her to start immediately if she intended to have children. This highlights a significant gap in public health education. The discussion also touched upon how diet and drinks can affect bladder health, further underscoring the need for open dialogue and education.

The call to action was clear: for those experiencing incontinence, seeking professional help is paramount. While some cases are manageable with simple solutions like pads, for others, it is “totally debilitating for their life.” In such cases, a proper consultation with a gynaecologist is crucial, as surgery can offer significant improvement.

The overwhelming message from the Loose Women panel was a powerful plea for women to be persistent, demand to be heard, and advocate fiercely for their own health. In a system where 84% feel dismissed, the onus, sadly, falls too often on the individual to navigate a complex and frequently unresponsive healthcare landscape.

What steps do you think individuals can take to ensure their health concerns are taken seriously by medical professionals?