Health Education and Improvement Wales will launch NHS e-learning modules from March, covering women’s health and conditions such as endometriosis.
Wales is moving from principle to practice in its effort to address long-standing gaps in women’s healthcare, with the opening of the first NHS women’s health hub and the ongoing rollout of a decade-long strategy aimed at improving outcomes for women across the country. ()
TOP INSIGHT
The first NHS Women’s Health Hub opens by the end of January. By March, every health board will have one, providing expert care for #menopause, #contraception, and #menstrualhealth. This is a game-changer for integrated #femalehealthcare.
#NHS #Wales #WomensHealthClub #WomensHealth
Eluned Morgan Sets a New Direction for Women’s Health in Wales
When First Minister Eluned Morgan made women’s health a priority for the Welsh Government, it marked a clear shift in focus toward tackling gender inequities in health services.
Since then, the government and NHS Wales have worked to turn that commitment into tangible change. The cornerstone of this effort is the Women’s Health Plan for Wales 2025–2035, a long-term strategy outlining 64 actions across multiple priority areas, including menstrual health, contraception, pelvic pain, menopause and more.
The plan grew out of years of advocacy and research highlighting how women’s health services have often been designed around male models of illness, leading to delays in diagnosis, dismissive clinical encounters and poorer outcomes for conditions disproportionately affecting women.
In its first year, progress has been reported on about a third of these actions, including the establishment of a new Women’s Health Research Wales centre, initiatives to improve education on menstrual health in schools, and the development of a new national women’s health website due for launch in spring 2026.
Wales Launches Its First Women’s Health Hubs Across NHS Communities
A major milestone in implementation is the launch of women’s health hubs — community-based NHS services designed to provide integrated care tailored to women’s health concerns. The first “pathfinder” women’s health hub is set to open in Wales before the end of January 2026, with others expected to be in place in every health board area by early March.
These hubs will offer joined-up support covering menstrual problems, contraception and menopause care, aiming to make it easier for women to access personalized, holistic services without unnecessary delays. Each hub will be developed locally with flexibility to suit community needs, while adhering to core standards of integrated care.
To help prepare staff for the new services, clinician training programmes covering menopause, sexual health and long-acting contraception have already been delivered, and further e-learning modules on conditions such as endometriosis will be available to NHS professionals from March.
Health boards have been allocated additional funding to support the rollout, and an evaluation of the pathfinder hubs will be completed by June 2026 to gather feedback from women accessing the services and shape future implementation.
Calls Grow to Expand the Women’s Health Agenda Beyond Current Priorities
While the development of hubs and research initiatives are tangible markers of progress, stakeholders note there are calls for even broader focus — including increased emphasis on gynecological cancers and other conditions beyond the current priority areas.
The assembly’s health committees and advocacy organizations have stressed the importance of resources and leadership to support the plan’s full delivery.
Yet government ministers remain confident that these early steps — from co-producing health plans with women themselves to embedding new services in communities — signal a new era for women’s health in Wales. As the strategy moves forward, the aim is clear: to ensure women’s voices and health needs are not just recognized in policy but reflected in everyday experiences of care.
References:
- Women’s Health – (https://www.nhs.wales/womens-health/)
Source-Medindia