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Spinal Injuries Association calls for urgent action to address women’s health inequalities after spinal cord injury
The Spinal Injuries Association has today joined the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Spinal Cord Injury (APPG for SCI), MPs, healthcare professionals, national charities, and women with lived experience of spinal cord injury (SCI) to call on the Government to urgently address the shocking disparities in cancer screening, reproductive health, and maternity care for women living with SCI and other physical disabilities.
In a joint letter from the Chair and Vice-Chair of the APPG for SCI to Minister for Secondary Care, Ashley Dalton MP, we have highlighted the significant barriers disabled women face in accessing routine cancer screening and reproductive health services. Testimonies shared at a Parliamentary roundtable convened by SIA earlier this year, revealed unacceptable delays in diagnosis due to inaccessible equipment, facilities, and staff training gaps leading to devastating outcomes, including late-stage cancer diagnoses.
Women also shared distressing accounts of being discouraged from pregnancy, pressured into terminations, and denied equitable maternity care because of outdated attitudes towards disability. These experiences are not isolated; they reflect a systemic failure to provide safe, respectful, and inclusive care.
We are deeply concerned that the forthcoming National Cancer Plan and maternity services strategy risk repeating the same omission as previous policies by failing to include disabled women, especially those with spinal cord injuries. This would not only perpetuate health inequalities but directly contravene the Equality Act 2010.
SIA is urging the Government to:
- Ensure breast and cervical cancer screening services are fully accessible to disabled women, with alternative pathways where necessary.
- Guarantee maternity care that is informed, respectful, and tailored to the needs of women with SCI, including specialist advice and multidisciplinary support.
- Challenge stigma and discriminatory attitudes within healthcare through training, awareness, and leadership.
No woman should be denied the right to timely cancer screening or the chance to have a family because of disability. We look forward to working with the Department of Health and Social Care, healthcare providers, and national charities to ensure women with SCI are no longer left behind.
Read the letter sent to the Department of Health and Social Care below:
Women’s health campaign
Our women’s health campaign aims to highlight the unique challenges faced by disabled women and advocate for better healthcare solutions.
Women with spinal cord injuries and other long-term conditions (such as multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, and Parkinson’s disease) face significant challenges in accessing the healthcare they need. Despite advancements in medical care and policy commitments to equality, too many women with disabilities continue to be excluded from mainstream health services, left navigating a system that fails to recognize and meet their unique needs.
The healthcare system is not designed with disabled women in mind. From inaccessible GP and hospital facilities to a lack of specialist knowledge among healthcare professionals, women with spinal cord injuries and other conditions often struggle to get the care they require.
