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Women's Online Health Hub Launched

All involved celebrate the launch

A new online Women’s Health Hub which will enable women of all ages across Powys to quickly find helpful information and advice on a whole range of female health topics was launched on 12 March in Builth Wells.      

The hub covers a wide range of topics including:

  • Period and pelvic health
  • Sexual health & contraception
  • Breast and cervical screening
  • Pregnancy
  • Termination
  • Endometriosis and menopause
  • Pain management
  • Bladder & continence services
  • Mental health and wellbeing

Drawing on user insights from over 300 women in Powys, clinicians have developed the content for the new Powys online webpage www.pthb.nhs.wales/womens-health 

The website supports the ten-year NHS Wales Women’s Health Plan which was launched in December 2024.  The plan focuses on investment in a preventative approach to reduce health inequalities across Wales and create a health and care system that listens to and works for all women across their life.  

 The launch was attended by Janine Hale, the Head of Women’s Health (on behalf of the Welsh Government Minister), alongside representatives from the Powys Association for Voluntary Organisations (PAVO), some of the women who gave their views and health board teams including the Clinical Lead for the hub, Women and Family Health, the Primary and Community Care Academy and nurses who support women’s health needs.

Sarah Murphy, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, said:

“I am very proud we have invested £3m to set up women’s health hubs in every health board area, bringing vital services and care closer to home.  It’s great that the Powys hub is now open, making it easier for women in the health board area to get care when they need it. We will continue to listen to what women are telling us and look to adapt services with these hubs, ensuring they offer the right care, in the right place, for women now and in the future.”

Amie Symes, Director of Midwifery, Women and Family Health from PTHB said: 

“I’m very proud to celebrate the launch of this new online resource which brings together quality information about a range of health topics that women in Powys can trust and read whenever they need or want to do so. It has been a collective effort with real energy and commitment from all involved - our services, our partners and the women in Powys whose voices have helped to shape the content.

“Our overriding aim is to enhance women’s knowledge base on topics from contraception to menopause and to help women of all ages understand and feel more in control of their own bodies.  Ultimately, we want to provide information which helps prevent ill health and ensures that no female is suffering in silence but has the confidence to reach out for support if their symptoms are reducing their quality of life.”  

Lowri Shepstone, a Brecon resident who has led the work for Powys County Council to become an Endometriosis Friendly employer, spoke about her experience of living with endometriosis. She said:

“I live with endometriosis. From my very first period aged 14, I experienced severe pain, exhaustion and symptoms that went far beyond what I was told was “normal”. I was finally diagnosed via laparoscopy in August 2016, after 17 years of living with symptoms in relative silence and this diagnosis validated my experience.  Since then, I have been lucky enough to have supportive employers, and this led to me asking Powys County Council to sign up to the Endometriosis Friendly Employer scheme – the first local authority in the UK to do so. That commitment sent a clear message that menstrual health and chronic illness are workplace issues, and that they deserve action, not silence.”

Sharon Healey, Head of Health, Wellbeing and Partnerships at PAVO which led on capturing feedback from women across the county said: 

“We were commissioned to undertake a county-wide engagement exercise to understand whether there was support for a Women’s Health Hub, and critically, what that hub should look like.  Over a six-week period we gathered the views of over 330 individuals with lived experience from across Powys including communities who are often under-represented. Whether the women we spoke to were from our Gypsy and Traveller, agricultural or rural communities, had experienced domestic abuse or were low-income families or working with disability organisations the message was clear. There is a strong demand for this Women’s Health Hub in Powys, and I’m delighted these women’s voices have influenced and will continue to influence the future shape and information provided on this platform.”

In addition to the work already conducted, PAVO having been running some follow up focus groups and will be engaging with young people as part of the project and feedback more views.

Year one of the ten-year plan has also seen a comprehensive women’s health needs assessment undertaken and training modules developed on menopause, safeguarding and other priority areas.  Promotional materials including lip balms, pens, trolley tokens and business cards with QR codes which take people directly to the virtual landing page have also been produced based on suggestions from the women who took part in the engagement exercises.

The Women's Health Plan for Wales - NHS Wales Performance and Improvement

 

19/3/26