Tuesday 9th June 2026
- Coalition of 36 healthcare bodies and women’s rights organisations have written to Scotland’s First Minister urging him to reinstate a dedicated Minister for Women’s Health.
- The role was removed following last month’s elections - despite the mounting challenges across women’s healthcare in Scotland, from rising wait times for gynaecological care and persistent gaps in abortion provision.
- Today, experts are warning that “a lack of explicit ministerial responsibility risks undermining progress, reducing accountability, and signalling to the public that improving women’s health is no longer a priority for this government.”
Today, Tuesday 9th June, a coalition of 36 healthcare bodies and women’s rights organisations have written to Scotland’s First Minister urging him to reinstate a dedicated Minister for Women’s Health following the removal of the role following last month’s election.
The organisations – which include the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Midwives, the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service – have said that the removal of the post has signalled that improving women’s healthcare is no longer a government priority.
The letter states:
“Historically, women’s mental and physical health has been overlooked and deprioritised, including for most of the period since devolution. The establishment of a dedicated ministerial portfolio in 2021, only five years ago, was an important turning point for women’s rights in Scotland and was recognition of the leadership needed to address these deep-rooted and long-standing inequalities...
We therefore urge you to reinstate a dedicated Minister for Women’s Health, which we believe would provide the leadership, accountability, and visibility that women’s healthcare so desperately needs and deserves.”
The call comes at a time of mounting challenges across women's healthcare in Scotland, including pressures within maternity services, rising waiting times for gynaecological care, inequitable access to perinatal mental health services, and ongoing evidence of systemic inequalities in women's health outcomes. The organisations have also highlighted persistent gaps in abortion provision, which continue to force women to travel to England to access care unavailable in Scotland.
The President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Dr Alison Wright, said:
“Women in Scotland experience poorer health outcomes than men for a range of major conditions. We need accountability at every level to close this gap and deliver better for women. This decision by the Scottish Government sends the wrong message.”
Dr Sinead Cook, Chair of the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Scotland Committee, said:
"Women make up 51% of Scotland's population, so the removal of a dedicated Women's Health Minister sends the wrong message at a time when demand for sexual and reproductive healthcare continues to grow. Dedicated ministerial leadership is essential to tackling unintended pregnancy, improving access to contraception and driving better health outcomes overall for women. Scotland has been leading the way on women's health, and it is frustrating that we may now fall behind other UK nations.”
Heidi Stewart, Chief Executive Officer at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said:
“The decision to remove the dedicated Women’s Health Minister role is deeply concerning. Every four days a Scottish woman has to travel to England for abortion care she is unable to get at home, and last year a group of experts found that abortion law in Scotland is unfit for purpose. 1 in 3 Scottish women will have an abortion in their lifetime - these women deserve clear accountability for this essential healthcare and the urgent changes needed to improve accessibility.”
Catherine Murphy, Executive Director of Engender, said:
"The health inequalities that women in Scotland face run deep and have solidified over decades. Historic underfunding has left major gaps in research and expertise, and widespread bias in healthcare delivery. This impacts women in profound ways including being less likely to have their symptoms taken seriously by health professionals and waiting longer to be diagnosed. The notion that Government can spend a few years of focus on this and then move on without assessing the impact, demonstrates a lack of understanding of how gender inequality works, and a cavalier attitude to a issue that is impacting 51% of the population daily."
ENDS
For further comment, please contact Katherine O’Brien, Head of Campaigns and Communications at BPAS, on 07881 265276 or email katherine.obrien@bpas.org
Notes to editors
- A copy of the letter, signed by 36 organisations, can be found on the BPAS website HERE.
- The Women’s Health Minister role was first established in 2021
About BPAS
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service, BPAS, is a charity that sees over 100,000 women a year for reproductive healthcare services including pregnancy counselling, abortion care, miscarriage management and contraception at clinics across Great Britain.
BPAS exists to further women’s reproductive choices. We believe women are best placed to make their own decisions about contraception, pregnancy, abortion and birth. Women deserve evidence-based information on which to make their choices and we campaign for comprehensive reproductive healthcare services to enable them to exercise those choices.
BPAS also runs the Centre for Reproductive Research and Communication, CRRC. Through rigorous multidisciplinary research and impactful communication, the CRRC aims to inform policy, practice, and public discourse. You can find out more here.