What is gender bias in healthcare?

Gender bias and inequalities in UK healthcare

It is a worrying truth that inequalities in healthcare exist across the UK, often influenced by factors such as socioeconomic background, geography, and ethnicity.

These inequalities were further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, which in England led to the launch of the NHS’s Core20PLUS5 strategy. This aims to drive clinical improvements in 5 key areas for the most deprived 20% (Core20) of the national population, along with ‘PLUS’ populations most likely to experience health inequalities. These include ethnic minority communities, autistic people and those with learning disabilities, people with long-term health conditions, socially excluded groups, and groups that share protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

One such protected characteristic is gender. In this article, we explore the issue of gender bias in healthcare, what it looks like, and the impact it has on patient outcomes.

What is gender bias in healthcare?

Gender bias refers to the unequal treatment, opportunities or expectations based on a person's gender and, within a healthcare setting, gender bias can result in differences in the quality of healthcare provided to people of different genders.

Research has shown that women's pain is often undertreated compared to men's, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment. In 2023, we wanted to investigate this further and asked 2,000 people who identify as male and female for their thoughts on health inequalities in the UK.

Our research found:

• 44% of women feel ignored by medical professionals compared to 35% of men
• 44% of women also feel the level of care provided by the NHS is substandard compared to 38% of men
• Almost 50% of the women who responded don’t feel confident challenging a GP regarding a potential misdiagnosis compared to 40% of men

What does gender bias in healthcare look like?

Certain conditions may be overlooked or downplayed by women seeking medical support due to stereotypes or biases held by healthcare professionals.

Healthcare providers, like all people, can hold implicit biases and it is their judgements that can potentially influence their clinical decision-making. Some biases could lead to the dismissal of women’s symptoms, especially with reproductive health concerns.

Examples of gender bias in healthcare can include:

• Under or misdiagnosis: some conditions are often discounted or dismissed for a particular gender based on stereotypes (for example, heart disease is often considered a pre-dominantly male condition, so is frequently underdiagnosed in women).
• Reproductive health: women’s reproductive health has historically been heavily stigmatised and under researched, which has impacted the level of understanding and quality of care provided.
• Treatment: patients can be offered different treatment plans or even varying levels of pain management medication depending on their gender.

Whilst we’d expect training to be in place, some healthcare providers may still lack the knowledge, awareness and confidence in addressing these concerns, potentially causing detrimental effects.

Why is gender bias in healthcare a problem?

Gender bias in healthcare has a profound impact on patient outcomes for both men and women, stemming from a range of factors, including prevalent gender stereotypes and societal expectations and a lack of inclusive medical research.

For instance, the Mental Health Foundation report that in 2023/24 in England, 24% of women were diagnosed with a common mental health condition, compared to 15% of men.

Despite this, three-quarters are all suicides registered in the UK continue to occur among men – and this has been true since the mid-1990’s.

This year, the Royal College of Nursing reported that while on average women live longer than men in the UK, our country has one of the largest female health gaps in the G20 and the 12th largest globally – resulting in women spending three more years in ill health and disability during their lives when compared to men.

The impact of gender bias in mental health care

Mental health is much more often talked about today than it ever has been. This openness has done much to de-stigmatise mental health issues and encourage more people to seek help rather than struggle alone. Yet it is an unfortunate truth that lingering stereotyping and gender bias in healthcare can work against those looking for care and support.

Not only can gender stereotypes and historic societal expectations still discourage men from seeking help for mental health problems, but the very same gender stereotypes can result in missed opportunities by healthcare professionals to diagnose mental health conditions like depression, even when patients asked for help. This has led to widespread underdiagnosis of mental health conditions among men, inadequate support, and missed opportunities for care and intervention.

For women, it’s common to face discrimination and disparities in diagnosis and treatment. Concerns can frequently be dismissed or attributed to hormonal factors because of implicit bias, thereby overlooking the need for proper assessment and treatment. Only 20% of women think their GP completely understood their mental health concerns, compared to 25% of men.

Gender bias in healthcare: Our client’s story

Our client, Nikita Nicholls, has been left with several debilitating health conditions after doctors unnecessarily removed her womb, less than two years after failing to spot her cervical cancer and failing to investigate her concerns. Instead, she was prescribed anti-depressants and diagnosed with appendicitis and even an STI.

Rosaline Wong, an Associate Solicitor in the medical negligence team at Slater and Gordon, who represented Nikita, said: “Nikita’s case shows that mistakes in diagnosing cervical cancer can have horrendous and life changing consequences once the window of opportunity for early treatment is lost.”

Addressing and eliminating gender biases in healthcare is essential to balance the gender health gap. A dismissive attitude towards women’s health concerns needs to change to ensure all individuals receive timely, adequate and appropriate care. It requires awareness, education, and training to challenge biases among healthcare providers.

By addressing gender bias, we can work towards a healthcare system that provides fair and unbiased care, eliminating the long-term economic burden on society and ultimately improving health outcomes for everyone.

Tackling gender bias in healthcare: How to advocate for yourself

To address these issues, Slater and Gordon is advocating for women's health. This involves raising awareness among healthcare providers and the public about gender biases, promoting better listening and communication, and creating an environment where women feel confident to speak up about their health concerns. Our aim is to positively impact the accuracy of diagnoses and treatment decisions for women. We also want to promote teaching women how to advocate for themselves in a healthcare setting.

One such way to advocate for yourself is to keep a record of your healthcare interactions, including dates, symptoms, treatments, and discussions with healthcare providers. This can help you track your health journey, detect patterns, and provide documentation if you need to address any concerns or file a complaint.

We also recommend taking a proactive approach to your healthcare. Seek clarification, ask questions, express your concerns and voice your preferences. Actively engage in discussions with healthcare providers and make informed decisions about your care. Dedicate time to gather trustworthy information through research, enabling you to engage in informed conversations with healthcare experts.

Here are some valuable resources to help you feel confident in a healthcare setting:

• Swan Women’s Centre: supporting women to achieve mental well-being
• The Women’s Centre Glasgow: working to create a safe space for all women in Glasgow
• Fair Treatment for Women in Wales: dedicated to women's health equality across the country
• The Network of International Women in Brighton & Hove: a supportive, safe space for women of diverse cultures and backgrounds
• Kensa Health: helping women feel empowered with their bodies and health

What to do if you’ve been affected by medical negligence

For when you need support in your healthcare journey, we have created an advocacy support pack, made of downloadable resources that can be handed directly to your healthcare professional, letting you highlight and record the poor quality of care you believe you have received.

If you believe you’ve received substandard medical care or have suffered further health issues due to medical negligence, get in touch with our experts at Slater and Gordon. Your initial contact will be with one of our dedicated medical negligence advisors, who will gather all the necessary details about your case.

To obtain further information, contact our medical negligence lawyers today on 0330 041 5869 or contact us online.