Improving Women’s Health in Dorset Through Innovation and Collaboration

In Dorset, partners across the health and care system have come together to improve the way women access support, information and services. This work began in response to the Women’s Health Strategy for England, which calls for better listening, better access and better outcomes for women and girls over the next decade.

NHS Dorset commissioned Health Innovation Wessex (HIW) in 2023 to help deliver this ambition. Our role was to support the development, implementation and evaluation of new approaches to women’s health, working closely with local partners and the women of Dorset themselves.

Working together across the system

This programme brought together a wide group of organisations and individuals. Partners included NHS Dorset, University Hospitals Dorset, Dorset County Hospital, Dorset Women CIC, Public Health Dorset, Bournemouth University, clinicians, managers, researchers and innovation specialists. Most importantly, women and girls from across Dorset helped shape the priorities and decisions.

Together, we explored how services could be improved, where innovation could add value, and how to ensure women’s voices were at the centre of every change.

Identifying opportunities for innovation

Women’s health is an area where new ideas, digital tools and service models are emerging rapidly. To understand what could work best for Dorset, HIW carried out an innovation scan in 2024. This focused on four priority areas identified by local women: long-acting reversible contraception, menopause, pelvic health, and young women’s physical and mental health.

This work helped the system identify proven, evidence-based innovations that could be safely adopted to improve care.

What we delivered

• HIW supported Dorset to introduce several key innovations, including:
• A new pelvic floor dysfunction care pathway
• Adoption of the Squeezy app to support self-management
• A new online women’s health resource: Women’s Health – Our Dorset
• Four menopause education and support apps.

We also provided hands on support with data protection agreements, contracting, pathway mapping and implementation. Alongside this, we carried out evaluations, analysed digital survey data and produced an impact report to help the system understand what was working well.

The impact: what has changed for women and clinicians

The programme has already delivered significant improvements across Dorset. Here are some of the key outcomes.

Better access to services

Women now have access to two new care pathways, helping them receive support more quickly and closer to home. The new online resource has been used by thousands of women, offering trusted information and self-help tools. More than 1,100 funded Squeezy app licences have helped women manage pelvic floor health independently.

A more confident and better equipped workforce

Training has been a major part of this programme. Sixteen clinicians completed pelvic floor Train the Trainer instruction, and are now sharing their knowledge with colleagues. Eleven clinicians completed racial discrimination training, all reporting improved understanding. Menopause training has been particularly impactful: 351 hours of education were delivered across six webinars, increasing the number of clinicians who felt “extremely confident” from 0% to 39%. Almost all attendees believed the training would reduce secondary care referrals.

Changes in clinical behaviour

Referrals for bleeding during menopause have reduced in line with national guidance. The menopause service is now responding to queries more quickly, and clinicians are increasingly turning to the Poole Menopause Clinic for trusted specialist advice.

Stronger community engagement

More than 1,600 women shared their experiences through digital surveys, helping shape the programme. Twenty one community groups supported the work, ensuring underrepresented voices were heard. The online resource has been viewed nearly 29,000 times, and eight podcasts have helped raise awareness of women’s health issues across Dorset.

Digital tools reaching more women

Five digital apps have been added to the Our Dorset ORCHA library. Four menopause apps have been downloaded 226 times, and 170 women have taken up Squeezy licences through targeted campaigns.

Better understanding of women’s experiences

Feedback from 53 Dorset women helped improve the online resource. Lived experience stories, survey insights and engagement with schools — including support for HPV vaccination — have helped the system understand the barriers women face and how to address them.

Collaboration with national influence

More than ten partners contributed to this programme. The team has published six case studies, produced national abstracts and presented at NHS Confed Expo 2025. Funding has been secured for research into workplace menopause support, and pelvic health training has already spread to Milton Keynes. Work has also been shared with NHS England and NICE, helping shape national policy.

Growing workforce capacity

In addition to menopause training, 20 link nurses are now supporting Dorset schools and vaccination programmes. A further 133 hours of menopause training were delivered through three additional webinars.

Using data to drive improvement

A real world evaluation of the pelvic health Train the Trainer instruction programme showed clear improvements in knowledge and application. A minoritised groups data report brought together local and national insights to help the system better understand inequalities and barriers.

Looking ahead

This programme shows what is possible when innovation, collaboration and lived experience come together. Dorset now has stronger pathways, better digital support, a more confident workforce and a clearer understanding of women’s needs. Most importantly, women across the county are already benefiting from more accessible, responsive and informed care.

Building on this programme, there will now be a number of health innovation networks (HINs) across England supporting further work on women’s health from 2026-2028, beginning with a collaboration already underway with NHS England. Scoping work has begun across England and this will be developed into a programme of work later in 2026.

If you'd like to know more about this project or the national Health Innovation Network Women's Health Programme, please contact us.