A formal NHS Scotland partner is urging equity in innovation to help improve healthcare and bridge the gender health gap faster through breakthrough ideas on International Women’s Day (8 March)

InnoScot Health is a proud supporter of fresh, female-led health and social care ideas for patient benefit and shares International Women’s Day 2025’s aspiration to ‘Accelerate Action for gender equality’.

The organisation is backing #IWD2025 ambitions to “shine a spotlight on activity uplifting and inspiring women to pursue goals without bias or barrier” and “assist women to be in a position of power and make informed decisions about their health”.

InnoScot Health — which aims to inspire and support innovation from the NHS Scotland workforce — believes these are vital goals if Scotland is to both empower its female innovators and improve outcomes for women experiencing health inequalities.

Head of Project Management Gillian Henderson said: “In 2021, Scotland became the first country in the UK to have a Women’s Health Plan, outlining ambitious improvement and change in areas including menopause, heart health, menstrual health including endometriosis, and sexual health.

“With it, the Scottish Government set out a bold strategy to improve health and reduce health inequalities — and innovators can follow that pioneering example.

“Indeed, IWD 2025’s ‘Accelerate Action’ message is an important call to action if we are to reduce inequalities faster in many areas across society including women’s healthcare.

“It is also an opportunity to celebrate and highlight work that’s already underway in Scottish healthcare which is targeted at enhancing inclusive care for women with, as IWD says, collaboration being key to advancing equality.

“Together with heightened awareness and more open discourse around mental health and wellbeing issues, we stand at a key moment for accelerating women’s health.

“IWD organisers say that ‘Focusing on the need to Accelerate Action emphasises the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality.’ Scotland’s female innovators have an opportunity to play a huge role in effecting that change.”

InnoScot Health’s pregnancy and perinatal innovation call seeks to inspire fresh ideas and new thinking from all health care staff.

The organisation considers it an important area with vast opportunities to improve the outcomes of maternity and neonatal care for all women, babies, and families while placing more focus on mental health and inequalities.

Gillian added: “Now is the time to accelerate innovation for women’s needs and inspire the most inclusive healthcare possible, making for better outcomes and improved NHS practices. We are therefore calling on NHS Scotland workers to come forward with their ideas and solutions.”

InnoScot Health encourages and facilitates improvements in care while stimulating Scotland’s economic wealth and creating jobs.

Its primary aim is to accelerate great innovation which can be adopted back into the NHS.

The International Women’s Day website states: “One of the best ways to forge gender equality is to understand what works and to do more of this, faster.

“Accelerate Action is a worldwide call to acknowledge strategies, resources, and activity that positively impact women's advancement, and to support and elevate their implementation.

“Significant barriers to gender equality remain, yet with the right action and support, positive progress can be made for women everywhere.”