The Royal College of Psychiatrists Podcast
Jun 8, 2026 · 50 min · 11 segments
This episode explores a core priority of the UK’s first Women’s Mental Health Strategy: implementing national initiatives that create lasting, systemic change. We examine how this ambition aligns with…
Lesley ReganGuestLade SmithGuest
Katherine DurkinHost
Philippa GreenfieldHostAnd I think you raise a really interesting point, because what you're talking about, and we've already heard as well from Leslie, is the idea of how we maintain and sustain change that as you said there's been an awful lot of you know there's been an awful lot of people working and a lot of focus in this area in the college and as i say as part of the women the wider england women's health strategy but there's a real question of how we maintain that and i know that we've had a lot of these conversations internally in the college but also leslie with yourself and also with thinking with other stakeholders I think when we've all come into these roles and started thinking about the issues, the issues that we have, what we need to do and what works, I think I'll probably speak for us all in saying actually what we are recommending to do, what we're suggesting to do isn't new.
Kath and I, looking back, we were looking at a task force report from the government written 10 years ago around women's mental health, for example.
It's been looking back a real failure around implementation and accountability for change and how we sustain that.
And I think that was, we were very mindful of that sort of from the outset, really, and thinking about anything we want to do.
How do we make it not just words and repeating more things, but actually what can we really do that puts a stake in the ground that really sort of moments and cements some change? And I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Again, Lade, you're coming up to the end of your presidency, and I know this is something we've been thinking about, but also thinking about the renewed health strategy as well.
What are your comments or thoughts about that? Is this something that can change and what needs to happen to support that momentum for sustainable change for women?
We've got to ensure that we make the right way the easy way, both for girls and women and for the people who are caring for them.
And we've also got to get everyone to understand that you can't fix this with health and the Department of Health or NHS England alone.
This is a multi-sector effort and that, you know, I learned a long time ago and it's really been reinforced to me in the last couple of years in this ambassador role, that you can travel a lot farther and a lot faster if you collaborate and you can travel even faster if you stop fussing about who's getting the credit.
So I think it's about making everybody feel that they've got an important role to play and that we work with Department of Education, with Work and Pensions, with the Home Office.
But I also think that it's really important that we get women and girls to understand what contribution they can make.
I'm saying that if we're 51% of the population, and we do 2 thirds of the unpaid caring roles in life, and we do 80 percent of all household decisions are made by women and we are responsible for 100 of all babies born human beings that is then you know this is a massive contribution and we've got to realize that lots of different people are going to be needed to make this work Not just whilst I'm running around shouting at people that's not good enough, but going forward.
And so I think that necessarily the stuff, if you like, the maintenance health care that I say that most women require from the ages of about 10, to 50, that needs to be an absolute given.
Because with the moment, you know, if Lade came to me with a problem, say in her 40s, I could sort all of the things out she needed in terms of her smear and her mammogram and her periods or her menopause or her incontinence or whatever.
And I'm meant to send her for five different appointments where she could get all this done.
And it's the same when you go into a general practice, you know, that if after your seven minutes and you've talked about one thing, they say, well, you have to book another appointment.
Now, that is madness, because the most expensive thing about the health service is its workforce, and rightly so.
And I think you raise a really interesting point, because what you're talking about, and we've already heard as well from Leslie, is the idea of how we maintain and sustain change that as you said there's been an awful lot of you know there's been an awful lot of people working and a lot of focus in this area in the college and as i say as part of the women the wider england women's health strategy but there's a real question of how we maintain that and i know that we've had a lot of these conversations internally in the college but also leslie with yourself and also with thinking with other stakeholders I think when we've all come into these roles and started thinking about the issues, the issues that we have, what we need to do and what works, I think I'll probably speak for us all in saying actually what we are recommending to do, what we're suggesting to do isn't new.
Kath and I, looking back, we were looking at a task force report from the government written 10 years ago around women's mental health, for example.
It's been looking back a real failure around implementation and accountability for change and how we sustain that.
And I think that was, we were very mindful of that sort of from the outset, really, and thinking about anything we want to do.
How do we make it not just words and repeating more things, but actually what can we really do that puts a stake in the ground that really sort of moments and cements some change? And I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Again, Lade, you're coming up to the end of your presidency, and I know this is something we've been thinking about, but also thinking about the renewed health strategy as well.
What are your comments or thoughts about that? Is this something that can change and what needs to happen to support that momentum for sustainable change for women?
We've got to ensure that we make the right way the easy way, both for girls and women and for the people who are caring for them.
And we've also got to get everyone to understand that you can't fix this with health and the Department of Health or NHS England alone.
This is a multi-sector effort and that, you know, I learned a long time ago and it's really been reinforced to me in the last couple of years in this ambassador role, that you can travel a lot farther and a lot faster if you collaborate and you can travel even faster if you stop fussing about who's getting the credit.
So I think it's about making everybody feel that they've got an important role to play and that we work with Department of Education, with Work and Pensions, with the Home Office.
But I also think that it's really important that we get women and girls to understand what contribution they can make.
I'm saying that if we're 51% of the population, and we do 2 thirds of the unpaid caring roles in life, and we do 80 percent of all household decisions are made by women and we are responsible for 100 of all babies born human beings that is then you know this is a massive contribution and we've got to realize that lots of different people are going to be needed to make this work Not just whilst I'm running around shouting at people that's not good enough, but going forward.
And so I think that necessarily the stuff, if you like, the maintenance health care that I say that most women require from the ages of about 10, to 50, that needs to be an absolute given.
Because with the moment, you know, if Lade came to me with a problem, say in her 40s, I could sort all of the things out she needed in terms of her smear and her mammogram and her periods or her menopause or her incontinence or whatever.
And I'm meant to send her for five different appointments where she could get all this done.
And it's the same when you go into a general practice, you know, that if after your seven minutes and you've talked about one thing, they say, well, you have to book another appointment.
Now, that is madness, because the most expensive thing about the health service is its workforce, and rightly so.
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