Digital Health Unplugged: Why the UK Is Falling Behind on Women's Health

Why It Matters

Improving women’s health reduces NHS spending and boosts economic productivity, addressing a critical demographic and fiscal challenge for the UK.

Key Takeaways

• UK relies on GPs for women's health, limiting specialist care.
• Women excluded from clinical trials until 1993, creating data gaps.
• Period pain costs UK women 12 productive days annually.
• Diagnostic tampon enables at‑home HPV testing, reducing NHS burden.
• Underfunded women's health hampers economic productivity and life expectancy.

Summary

The podcast “Digital Health Unplugged” features Valentina Milanova, founder and CEO of Women’s Health Startup Day, discussing why the United Kingdom is falling behind on women’s health. She highlights the GP‑first model, stigma, and the lack of specialist obstetrics‑gynecology care as structural barriers.

Milanova points to historic data gaps – women were excluded from clinical trials until 1993 – and cites research showing women are diagnosed later across 700 diseases, including heart attacks where half are turned away because symptoms differ from men. She also notes that period and pelvic pain cost UK women an average of 12 productive days per year.

A striking example is cervical cancer: over 99% of cases are caused by HPV, yet the UK lags behind other nations in HPV self‑sampling. Day’s diagnostic tampon lets women collect a reliable sample at home, potentially reducing unnecessary pap smears and easing NHS workload. The company has already served more than 12,000 patients.

Milanova argues that under‑funded women’s health undermines economic productivity and life expectancy, especially for disadvantaged groups. Scaling solutions like at‑home HPV testing and increasing dedicated funding could improve outcomes, lower NHS costs, and unlock the economic potential of a healthier female workforce.

Original Description

Winning the Rewired Pitchfest 2026 competition has put women’s health in the spotlight, but Daye’s founder Valentina Milanova tells Digital Health Unplugged that the UK is still "falling behind" on care, research and investment.

In the latest podcast episode, Tammy Lovell, editor at Digital Health News, speaks to Milanova about the urgent need to rethink women’s health and why progress has been slower than it should be.

Listen to the full episode to hear why she believes the UK has the tools to tackle one of the most preventable cancers, but isn’t moving fast enough.

Guest:

Valentina Milanova, founder and chief executive of Daye