In this powerful episode of Health Applied, we’re joined by Chantal Cox, a former NHS doctor turned venture capitalist, to unpack the gender bias in healthcare, the lack of funding in women’s health, and why women are so often misdiagnosed, dismissed, and underserved by the medical system.

We talk openly about:

• Why healthcare is designed around male bodies

• The shocking lack of research funding into women’s health

• Pregnancy loss, miscarriage care & postnatal trauma

• Why women’s pain isn’t taken seriously

• The venture capital funding gap in femtech & women-led health startups

• How women are forced to advocate for themselves in broken systems

• Why every woman seems to have a healthcare horror story

⚠️ Content note: This episode includes discussion of pregnancy loss and miscarriage.

Chapters:

00:00 – “Healthcare treats women as small men”

00:30 – Introducing Chantal Cox & the gender bias in healthcare

02:17 – From NHS doctor to venture capitalist

05:17 – The shocking lack of funding in women’s health

08:07 – Why women’s health startups struggle to get investment

10:28 – Money, confidence & why women struggle to raise funding

14:19 – Social media algorithms & silencing women’s voices

17:47 – Why women’s healthcare experiences are so broken

20:19 – Advocating for yourself in medical emergencies

21:36 – Pregnancy pain dismissed & misdiagnosis

24:53 – Miscarriage, trauma & navigating care alone

30:17 – Why every woman has a healthcare horror story

31:45 – Childbirth, fear & lack of proper support

33:08 – What is a doula & why women need advocates

36:41 – Birth choices, C-sections & maternal mortality

38:56 – Breastfeeding pressure & postnatal reality

41:41 – Is the NHS fixable? The future of women’s healthcare

43:17 – Final thoughts & call to action

If this episode resonates with you, please like, subscribe and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

In this first episode of Health Applied®, we sit down with broadcaster and women’s health advocate Cherry Healey to unpack the uncomfortable truths about how healthcare has historically failed women, from menopause and endometriosis to misdiagnosis, underfunded research and medical misogyny.We explore:• Why the UK economy loses £11bn every year due to women’s health-related absence• The shocking lack of investment in women’s health research• Why women are more likely to be misdiagnosed – even during heart attacks• The real impact of menopause on careers, confidence and wellbeing• How healthcare systems, leaders and innovators can design better solutions for women• What needs to change in medical education, policy and workplace cultureThis conversation is essential listening for healthcare leaders, founders, clinicians, investors, marketers and women navigating midlife health.Chapters00:00 Introduction02:30 Why Cherry became passionate about women’s health04:44 Breaking taboos: periods, fibroids & endometriosis05:43 Menopause myths vs reality08:13 The funding gap in women’s health research08:33 The economic cost of menopause and women leaving the workforce11:52 Why women aren’t being listened to by GPs13:27 HRT, hormones & outdated treatment pathways15:07 The gender pain gap and misdiagnosis17:57 Medical misogyny and rebuilding trust in healthcare20:32 Women’s health hubs: a systemic solution22:42 Raising the next generation without shame25:55 Education, data & empowering patients27:56 AI, home diagnostics & the future of women’s health29:19 Final reflections: why this movement is only getting bigger

What if health information actually made sense?

Health Applied is a new podcast hosted by Kelly Allison and Harriet Gisbourne, created to close the gap between complex health science and everyday life. In this trailer, Kelly and Harriet share why they started the podcast, their own experiences of health challenges and healthcare frustrations, and their mission to make health knowledge accessible, practical, and empowering for everyone.

Expect real conversations, myth-busting, expert insights, and honest discussions about women’s health, inequality in healthcare, investment, innovation, and patient advocacy — all explained without jargon and grounded in real experience.

If you’ve ever felt unheard, confused, or overwhelmed by health information, this podcast is for you.

Real science. Real experiences. Health truths that actually matter to your life.

Subscribe now and join the conversation.