To ask the Minister of Health, pursuant to AQW 26540/22-27, to provide an update on the (i) development; and (ii) implementation, of the Women's Health Action Plan.

Officials are continuing to develop the Women’s Health Action Plan. This is a wide-ranging piece of work which seeks to bring together the range of ongoing developments in women’s health such as tackling gynae waiting lists, improving maternity safety and the Live Better work which addresses the health inequalities between different groups of women.

This is a challenging piece of work in view of resource constraints across the whole of the Health and Social Care Sector and I want to ensure that the plan is both realistic and achievable and meets the expectations of women and stakeholders.

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. My Department has also provided further funding for the second phase, currently underway, which involves a series of focus groups targeted at “hard-to-reach” women. This work is due to be completed this year and will be incorporated into the Action Plan.

Whilst development of the Action Plan continues, work on the key initiatives / actions that will form the basis of the plan are continuing and will have their own implementation arrangements. This includes for example the implementation of the gynae GIRFT recommendations and the maternity safety work, subject to available resources.