To ask the Minister of Health for an update on the Women’s Health Action Plan.

The Women’s Health Action plan remains in development with work ongoing to determine achievable actions based on the significant feedback we received from the stakeholder engagement events earlier this year.

One of the common themes apparent throughout our stakeholder engagement is the need for better education and awareness on women’s health issues and the identification and management of risk factors. I am aware and have acknowledged this. Unfortunately, as I have also stated previously, ongoing budget pressures limit my ability to commit to specific Women’s Health public awareness campaigns at this time. Officials are considering how best to make progress in this area as the Action Plan develops.

My Department is also continuing to support, and work alongside, Derry Well Women and Queen’s University Belfast on their large scale public listening exercise with women in NI. The first phase of this work, a Women’s Health Survey which was funded by DoH, has now concluded. The second phase will take place over the coming months and will involve a series of focus groups targeted at “hard-to-reach” women. The findings of the focus groups, alongside, the early analysis from Phase 1 of the listening exercise will provide additional evidence to underpin the Women’s Health Action Plan.