18 Accepted

The Government should set out in the renewed Women’s Health Strategy a rigorous approach to...

Recommendation
The Government should set out in the renewed Women’s Health Strategy a rigorous approach to tackling the risks from ineffective, unsafe and exploitative for-profit FemTech apps. To combat demand for these apps the Government must increase resourcing of the NHS’s Innovation, Research and Life Sciences team, to drive forward NHS provision of digital tools. The strategy should set out clear priorities for the development of women’s digital health functionality, which we believe should include accurate and effective period trackers, grounded in diverse data, and accessible to girls and women via the NHS app. The strategy should set out a timeline to implementation of this functionality. (Recommendation, Paragraph 78) Workforce training; empathy; pain management
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation, commissioning NICE to develop FemTech evidence standards and MHRA to create a new regulatory framework for software as a medical device. DHSC and NHSE will explore opportunities to strengthen the NHS Innovation team's capacity, and the refreshed Women's Health Strategy annual report will include priorities for digital health functionality like period trackers.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government Accepted
The Government agrees that FemTech apps have the potential to transform girls’ and women’s understanding of, and ability to advocate for, their menstrual health and wellbeing. However, the Government also recognises the risks associated with these apps, including inaccurate information, inappropriate monetisation of personal health data, and data bias. This is why the Government published the Women’s Health Strategy for England in 2022, which set out a long-term vision for women’s health. The Strategy committed to improving the regulation, safety and quality of FemTech, increasing the evidence base for FemTech, and encouraging the development of FemTech apps and products across the country. The Government is committed to taking a rigorous approach to tackling the risks from ineffective, unsafe, and exploitative for-profit FemTech apps. The Government has commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to develop evidence standards for FemTech, which will provide a framework for evaluating the safety and effectiveness of these apps. This will help healthcare professionals and consumers make informed decisions about which apps to use. In addition, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is developing a new regulatory framework for software as a medical device, which will ensure that FemTech apps that fall within the scope of medical devices are subject to appropriate regulatory oversight. The Government acknowledges the importance of increasing resourcing of the NHS’s Innovation, Research and Life Sciences team to drive forward NHS provision of digital tools. DHSC and NHSE will explore opportunities to strengthen the team’s capacity and capabilities to support the development and adoption of digital health technologies for women. The refreshed Women’s Health Strategy annual report will include clear priorities for the development of women’s digital health functionality, including accurate period and fertility tracking, to ensure that girls and women have access to reliable and safe digital tools to manage their health and wellbeing.
Addressee Bodies
Government Equalities Office
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.4 yrs
Report published 04 Mar 2026