What women’s health data tells us about the future of screening
New data from the fifth annual Hologic Global Women’s Health Index (the Index) should prompt reflection across the UK health system. The UK has fallen to its lowest women’s health score since reporting began, dropping from 63 to 58 out of 100, and ranking 48th globally. For a country with established national screening programmes, advanced imaging capability and a publicly funded health service, the findings are a clear signal that women’s health needs renewed attention, and that data must be used more effectively to drive action.
The Index, the world’s largest survey on women’s health, found that UK women are reporting worsening physical and emotional health, and falling confidence in healthcare. When it comes to prevention, the preventive health score is the lowest it has been since in the Index began. When looking specifically cancer screening, scores are persistently low across the five years, currently sitting at 16%, which means thousands of women have not been screened for any cancer.[1]
Alongside the Index, new polling of 2,000 UK women suggests growing frustration with access to NHS care. More than two thirds, 68%, say they have experienced delays while seeking NHS care in the last five years, and nearly half, 47%, say those delays reduced their trust in the healthcare system. When asked what government should prioritise, 41% said faster and more reliable diagnosis and treatment.[2]
For radiologists and screening professionals, these findings matter. They reveal the pressures shaping whether women engage with healthcare at all, including whether they attend screening appointments, seek help for symptoms and trust that the system will respond when something is wrong.
Data must connect policy with lived experience
Women’s health policy often focuses on specific diseases, services or life stages. These are important, but do not always capture the full picture of women’s experiences. The value of the Index is that it brings together multiple dimensions of health: physical wellbeing, emotional wellbeing, preventive care, basic needs and safety.
This broader perspective is essential as screening does not happen in isolation. A woman’s decision to attend a mammogram or another preventive check is influenced by her health, previous experiences, responsibilities and perception of whether the appointment will lead to timely, useful care.
Data suggests where the barriers to screening are, but there is still a missing connection between national policy ambitions and the reality of women’s lives.
Screening rates are a signal, not just a statistic
For imaging teams, screening participation is often discussed in terms of uptake, recall, attendance and performance standards. These measures are essential for service quality, but screening rates also tell us something more fundamental: whether preventive healthcare is reaching the people it is designed to serve.
Persistently low screening rates should be interpreted as a warning sign. They may reflect practical barriers such as appointment availability, travel, work commitments, caring responsibilities, disability access or language needs. They may also reflect emotional barriers, including fear or previous negative experiences.
The latest data adds important context. If nearly half of women who experienced delays say those delays reduced their trust in the healthcare system, the relationship between access, confidence and screening becomes difficult to ignore. A woman who has waited too long for care, struggled to get an appointment or felt dismissed may be less likely to respond promptly to a screening invitation. Conversely, a well-designed, respectful and reliable screening experience can help rebuild trust.
This is why women’s health data should be used not only to describe problems, but to redesign pathways.
Earlier diagnosis depends on better intelligence
The UK’s focus on prevention and NHS reform is welcome, but prevention cannot succeed without diagnostic capacity. Screening programmes depend on a complete pathway: invitation, attendance, imaging, reporting, recall, biopsy where needed, diagnosis and referral into treatment.
Better use of data could help services understand not only how many women are being screened, but who is missing, where delays occur, how quickly women move through recall and assessment, and whether certain communities face greater barriers. National averages can conceal significant local variation. A headline screening rate may look acceptable while particular groups, geographies or age cohorts are being underserved.
Data should therefore support targeted action. It can help identify where mobile screening may be needed, where appointment flexibility could improve attendance, where communication needs to be adapted, and where additional diagnostic capacity would have the greatest impact.
Innovation should be guided by evidence and need
Innovation in imaging, workflow systems, image-guided procedures and AI has the potential to support earlier diagnosis and improve services. AI, in particular, is increasingly being explored as a way to support image interpretation, prioritisation and workflow efficiency. But the case for innovation should be grounded in evidence, governance and clearly defined clinical need. The most effective technologies will be those that help teams deliver better, more consistent care.
From measurement to action
A renewed focus on women’s health in the UK backed by a commitment to improvement is necessary to reverse the continual decline shown by the Index data. Women’s responses in both sets of research clearly illustrate the continuing deterioration across all aspects of their health and wellbeing with many facing delays in care and losing confidence in the system.
The good news is that we know where many of the challenges lie, but it will take continued commitment from policymakers, the NHS, clinicians and industry working together to deliver the changes women are asking for.
It is important for mammographers, radiographers and radiologists to harness the power of data to strengthen their services, from making the case for greater diagnostic capacity to supporting targeted interventions that improve screening participation.
Screening and diagnostic imaging must be placed at the heart of the drive to improve outcomes in preventive care, not just as services that detect disease, but as data-driven pathways that demonstrate the central role of imaging in protecting and advancing women’s health.
References
- Hologic. Hologic Global Women’s Health Index. United Kingdom Year 5 Results. 2026. www.global
- Opinium. Hologic Women’s Health Survey, Project UK30147. Online survey of 2,000 UK women aged 18+. Fieldwork conducted 6–12 May 2026. Hologic data on file: MISC-11678-GBR-2101 Rev 001.
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