In March 2023, the Government committed £25 million to establish Women’s Health Hubs, alongside the publication of the Women’s Health Strategy for England (July 2022), which set out a ten-year vision to improve health outcomes for women and girls and strengthen how services respond to their needs.
The strategy drew on extensive national engagement, including responses from nearly 100,000 women, highlighting systemic gaps in access, information, and experience of care. These findings were mirrored locally through a Dorset-wide survey conducted by NHS Dorset in 2024 and analysed by Health Innovation Wessex.
In response, a multi-agency partnership across Dorset was established, bringing together NHS Dorset, Health Innovation Wessex, University Hospitals Dorset, Dorset County Hospital, Dorset Women Community Interest Company (CIC), and Bournemouth University. This collaboration focused on reviewing and enhancing the quality, accessibility, and consistency of women’s health education and information.
Comprehensive public engagement, including prior community-led work, identified six priority areas: menopause, long-acting reversible contraception, pelvic health disorders, young women’s physical and mental health, support for minoritised groups and mobile access, and the development of a Dorset-wide online women’s health resource.
These priorities underpinned the Dorset Women’s Health Programme delivered between December 2023 and March 2025, and supported by Health Innovation Wessex.
What we did
NHS Dorset commissioned our Innovation Adoption team to evaluate the impact of the Dorset Women's Health Programme. Qualitative and quantitative data, including feedback from healthcare professionals and Dorset women was obtained. The report incorporates survey results, audits, training evaluations, and digital engagement analytics.
Health Innovation Wessex provided programme management support to NHS Dorset to deliver five of the six projects, and were active members in the steering group and three project teams delivering activity - online women's health resource, pelvic health, and minoritised groups and mobile access. We facilitated patient and public community conversations, digital surveys, focus groups, co-facilitating workshops, presenting best practice and learning, innovation scans and implementation support for the adoption of innovations.
The Insight team delivered an independent programme level qualitative evaluation of the Dorset Women’s Health Programme:
- Evaluated the programme against its aims to improve access, experience, and system working in women’s health
- Explored staff perceptions of programme design, implementation, and early impacts across all six priority areas.
"I remain hugely grateful for everything HIW have overseen, led on and supported with, under the Dorset Women’s Health Programme. They are an incredible organisation and working in partnership with them has greatly increased the success of this programme and benefited thousands of clinicians and women across the Dorset system."
- Helen Crook, Programme Manager, Transformation Delivery, NHS Dorset
Patient impact
The Dorset Women’s Health Programme has delivered measurable impact across access, workforce capability, digital innovation, and system collaboration.
Two new care pathways have improved timely access to services closer to home, supported by a comprehensive online resource offering evidence-based information and self-management tools to thousands of women.
Digital provision has been strengthened through the rollout of 1,100 Squeezy app licences and a range of additional health apps, increasing engagement and reach.
Significant investment in workforce development has enhanced clinician knowledge and confidence across key priority areas. Training in pelvic health, menopause, and anti-discrimination has improved clinical capability, with over 350 hours of menopause training delivered and marked increases in clinician confidence. These developments have led to more appropriate care, reduced referrals, and more efficient service delivery, alongside greater use of specialist advice services.
Extensive community engagement, including over 1,600 survey responses, has ensured women’s voices shape service improvements and highlighted barriers faced by diverse and under-represented groups. Collaboration across more than ten partners has driven innovation, research, and national influence.
Independent evaluation demonstrates improved access to information, strengthened workforce capability, and enhanced system integration, providing a strong foundation for sustained improvements in women’s health outcomes across Dorset.
Impact
- Improved access to women’s health services and support
- Significant increase in clinician knowledge and confidence
- Measurable influence on referrals and clinical behaviour
- Strengthened community engagement and support
- Digital innovation driving reach and awareness
- Better understanding of women’s experiences and barriers
- System-wide collaboration and national influence
- Improved workforce capacity for women’s health
- Increased data and programme insight from the HIW independent evaluation
Spread and adoption
Health innovation networks are supporting further work on women’s health from 2026-2028.
Collaboration is already underway with NHS England and scoping has begun across England to develop a national programme launching later in 2026.
Health Innovation Wessex is leading this work on behalf of the Health Innovation Network.
