In the UK, and other countries, we have a gender health gap, with women experiencing worse outcomes than men. We wanted to understand what it is that drives this, and surveyed 200 women living with chronic diseases.

• Women can feel stigmatised for being a women, which damages the patient–HCP relationship
• This is a key driver of delays in diagnosis and access to healthcare services
• Interventions must address the underlying drivers of stigma and the influences that lead to an unsupportive doctor–patient relationship