As part of Women’s Health Week, we are shining a light on how women experience healthcare and asking what more can be done to support their health and wellbeing.
Recent local data has shown that women in Walsall are living fewer years in good health than men and as a partnership we are keen to understand why.
Dr. Ravi Sandhu, a local GP based at Kingfisher Berkley Practice, Modality Partnership, and the clinical lead for Women’s Health in Walsall Place, has been leading on a piece of work funded by the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and delivered in partnership with the VCFSE sector. A GP Trainer, Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners and Clinical Director of Walsall West One PCN, Dr. Sandhu brings over two decades of experience working in the local community.
Working across Walsall they have been listening directly to the experiences of women to gain a better understanding of what they need and what is currently missing.
“I grew up here. I live here. I see my patients here,” she says. “If you actively listen you can feel and see the barriers women face. Even as a well-educated woman, who is confident to speak up, I have faced barriers throughout my life and career. So, for me, this isn’t just about a job — it’s about doing something that makes a difference in my own community and helps empower women.”
With limited non-recurrent funding, it was important to ensure that any solutions were sustainable and support communities to become more resilient, so finding out what women in Walsall want from their healthcare was key.
Through a series of listening exercises including focus groups, surveys, and community sessions, specifically targeting underrepresented communities, the VCFSE engaged with over 300 women and a few common themes begin to emerge.
“We kept hearing the same things,” she explains. “Women want to be listened to. They want clearer information. And they want to know where they can go to get trusted advice and support.”
Topics raised ranged from menopause and mental health to access to female healthcare professionals and quality health information, managing period pain, and simply being taken seriously. One defining moment came when a women in her 60s revealed they had lived through menopause without ever knowing what it was.
“That really stuck with me,” says Dr Ravi. “They had just struggled through on their own and no one had ever explained it. That really made me think there is such inequality out there – one of information and one of education and it has a real impact on quality of life.”
The project also uncovered specific barriers faced by different groups for example, young girls who didn’t know how to talk about their periods, deaf women who received letters asking them to phone for appointments, women with learning disabilities or young girls who struggled to have private conversations with doctors.
“There are so many small things that we can change if we just stop and listen,” she says. “People’s experiences shape what they’re going to do in the future. So, when they have a bad experience, they stop coming forward. That’s going to create even more health inequalities.”
Next steps include working with schools, voluntary organisations, and community leaders to provide more education, build peer support networks, and offer accessible ways for women to get the advice they need, including potentially through drop-in sessions and community speakers.
“We want to create something that’s sustainable,” Dr. Ravi says. “If we can train people locally to be champions and sources of support, then that knowledge stays in the community even when funding runs out.”
The ultimate goal is to close the gap in women’s healthy life expectancy by empowering them with the tools and support they need.
“My message for Women’s Health Week?” she says. “Value and respect who you are. Your individuality really counts. Don’t give up. If you feel like you’re not being heard — keep trying in a different space. Someone will listen.”
As well as being a GP, Dr Sandhu is also a wife and mother to two sons. Having grown up in Walsall she feels a deep connection to the town and communities she serves.
“I’ve lived in Walsall my whole live, I love being here.” she says.
In her spare time, she enjoys walking, exercising, exploring new cities on foot, reading novels, and going to the theatre.
“I work so I can travel and explore” she says. “That’s my thing.”
