Open petition: Review NHS guidance on iron deficiency for women

Created by Lauren McGee
Closes on 6 November 2026

Iron deficiency is one of the leading contributors to the global burden of disease, disproportionately impacting reproductive age women. We think iron deficiency is often overlooked because blood counts or ferritin is in “normal range” and NHS guidance should be reviewed to support women's health.

Some research suggests that laboratory ferritin reference intervals result in under-diagnosis and under-treatment of iron deficiency, especially in women. Current evidence suggests that a serum ferritin concentration of less than 30 μg/L has a high specificity and sensitivity for diagnosing iron deficiency in adults. The NHS guidance is different across regions, and some only flag low levels for women when under 15 μg/L. We believe this results in underreporting of a widespread health issue.

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