New study reveals challenges in establishing Women’s Health Hubs Across England

Women’s Health Hubs were commissioned to streamline women’s access to reproductive healthcare for issues such as contraception, menopause and periods. A new study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and published in the journal Health and Social Care Delivery Research today, found that most areas did not have a hub, and existing models differ greatly, making it challenging to assess their overall impact.

The research team, led from the NIHR funded BRACE centre at the University of Birmingham, mapped and evaluated Women’s Health Hubs across the UK between April 2022 and March 2023. Most areas of the UK did not have a Women’s Health Hub with only 17 identified. They spoke to 142 women, staff, and policymakers to understand how hubs were working. Every Hub was different, and despite positive feedback from women who used these services, limited data prevents a comprehensive evaluation of their effectiveness and impact on healthcare inequalities.

Dr Beck Taylor, principal investigator and Clinical Associate Professor from Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, said: “Our study provides the first national overview of the first Women’s Health Hubs, highlighting their potential and the hurdles ahead. As these hubs become a focal point of healthcare policy, it’s crucial to design them with women’s needs at the forefront.

“At the beginning of our study, Women’s Health Hubs had been set up by a few enthusiastic leaders across the UK, and now they are a key policy objective, with every area of England working to establish a Hub. Our findings indicate real opportunities and substantial barriers that must be overcome. It will take time for Women’s Health Hubs to reach their potential for all women across the country. Our study provides evidence already used by policymakers and NHS leaders to support the national rollout and further evaluation of these models.”

Dr Louise Jackson, Associate Professor within the Institute of Applied Health Research at the University of Birmingham and co-author on the study, said: “Many of the Hubs were still new, and it was hard to say definitively what impact they were having. We also found that Women’s Health Hubs have mostly been established by passionate leaders going the extra mile to improve care for women in their area. These leaders had faced challenges, including identifying funding and staff, and integrating patient pathways, funding, and IT systems with other local services such as GPs and hospitals.”

Dr Jennifer Bousfield, Senior Analyst at RAND Europe said: “There is a large community of experts striving to improve women’s healthcare, with these hubs playing a part in efforts for transformation in women’s access to care. The gathering of consistent data to test assumptions, and measure and learn from the achievements of Women’s Health Hubs, including impacts on inequalities, will support decision-making around further scale-up.”

Since the BRACE team conducted their research some of the recommendations outlined in the report have already been progressed in the national implementation of Women’s Health Hubs. There has been agreement on the definition of what a Women's Health Hub is to ensure clear communication. There is also now a standardised core specification for all Hubs which can be balanced with specific local needs. Progress has also been made in developing national guidance to help overcome commissioning barriers, though this has yet to be published.