Half of women believe the NHS treats their health as a second-class issue, a survey has found.
About 22 percent of women strongly agreed with the damning verdict and 28 percent somewhat agreed, while only 20 percent disagreed.
The poll also found that one in four female patients (23 percent) have had a negative experience with an NHS professional in the past two years alone.
One in five said their problems were not taken seriously, and many complained of feeling rejected or ignored.
And four in ten also say they find it difficult to get a GP appointment, and even when they are seen, only half (49 percent) say the care they receive is good.
The poll also found that one in four female patients (23 percent) have had a negative experience with an NHS professional in the past two years alone
A doctor talks to a female patient in front of a laptop in a clinic. The survey of 2,000 British women revealed interesting information
The findings come amid growing evidence of a gender gap in treatment that is also costing the economy.
Praful Nargund, co-founder of the charity Create Health Foundation, which commissioned the research with pollster JL Partners, said: ‘The NHS was founded with the mission of providing treatment to everyone.
‘Today’s figures show that we are failing in this mission with women, who feel the NHS treats them as second-class citizens.
‘Women taking time off work due to conditions such as endometriosis and heavy periods cost the economy £11 billion a year.
“We are literally paying the price for making women suffer, for not adequately addressing their conditions.”
He added: “We are at a crossroads. We can continue to neglect women’s health, or we can make the right decision to prioritize the health and dignity of 51 percent of the population.”
The survey of 2,000 British women found that while almost half (43 percent) of those who had experienced NHS maternity services said they had been treated very well, 16 percent said they felt their baby was not safe in the NHS care.
The poll also found that most women (62 percent) had suffered from a gynecological condition, with almost one in three (30 percent) having to take time off work.
NHS National Health Service sign pictured in London. The findings come amid growing evidence of a gender gap in treatment that is also costing the economy.
The research found that while almost half (43 percent) of those who had experienced NHS maternity services said they had been treated very well, 16 percent said they felt their baby was not safe in NHS care.
A woman folds her hands while talking to two medical personnel. Last year, healthcare czar Dame Lesley Regan admitted the NHS is ‘letting women down’
But more than one in ten (12 percent) say they have gone to a private clinic to receive treatment, with this figure rising to 19 percent among younger women.
Many blamed NHS waiting lists for their decision, with one in three having to dip into their savings to pay for care.
And a third of women said they experience pain that affects their daily lives, while four in ten (42 percent) say the NHS does not provide adequate pain relief.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘It is unacceptable that so many women are not receiving the gynecological and obstetric care they need.
‘This government is committed to prioritizing women’s health and will deliver the investment and reforms needed to turn around the NHS, including tackling waiting lists of 40,000 extra appointments per week.’
The previous Conservative government set out a strategy for women’s health following a series of shocking revelations in maternity hospitals.
Last year, health czar Dame Lesley Regan admitted that the NHS is ‘letting women down’.
And recently, Patient Safety Commissioner Henrietta Hughes warned that female patients are too often dismissed as ‘difficult women’.