Women’s health hubs in south east London shortlisted for NHS Excellence Award
Women’s and Girls’ Health Hubs in south east London have been shortlisted for a national NHS Excellence Awards, in the patient involvement and choice category. Winners will be announced in June at the NHS Confederation Expo.
The shortlisting recognises how the hubs were shaped by local women and girls, with a focus on involvement, choice and faster access to care.
Built with local women and girls
From the start, the programme focused on what local women and girls said would make care easier to access. NHS South East London spoke to over 1,400 women through an online survey and forum, and more than 250 people through community outreach. This included young women aged 16 to 25, and communities that often face barriers to care, including South Asian, Black African, Black Caribbean and Latin American communities.
Women and girls said they wanted easier access to contraception and screening, better menopause and menstrual support, quicker diagnosis and care that felt right for their background and culture. They also highlighted the need for trusted health information in more than one language.
Hayley Ormandy, Senior Responsible Officer for women’s and girls’ health hubs and Director of Prevention, Wellbeing and Equity at NHS South East London, said: “Research has found a gender health gap in the UK, where many women and girls receive poorer healthcare than their male counterparts. South east London is no different, with many residents finding it difficult to access the care and support they need in a timely manner.
“It was important to ensure that local women and girls had a say in what they would want to see in these hubs. It’s these voices that will help us close the gap on unfair and avoidable differences in health access, experience and outcomes”.
What the hubs help with
The hubs offer support for women and girls aged 13 and over across Lambeth, Greenwich and Bexley. They bring GPs, nurses and specialists together in one place, so you can get help with more than one concern in a single appointment. The four main areas of support are contraception, heavy periods, menopause and pre-conception care.
In Greenwich and Bexley, you can refer yourself online without needing to go through your GP first. The hub team reviews your form and gets back to you within 48 hours. In Lambeth, you can ask your GP to refer you.
The programme has also created a toolkit translated into more than 10 languages, to help more people find out about and access the hubs.
What the hubs have achieved so far
Since launching in 2025, more than 700 women and girls have received care through the hubs, with 860 referrals overall. The average wait for an appointment is around four weeks, compared with 14 to 17 weeks through hospital gynaecology services.
Most women were treated and discharged without needing a hospital referral. In Lambeth, almost half of referrals were managed through specialist advice to GPs, helping people get care closer to home.
The hubs have also run 56 outreach events, reaching more than 1,200 women and girls across the three boroughs. Patient feedback has been positive. Women said they felt listened to, received clear information and felt better after their appointment.
One woman said: “I self-referred to the WGH and had an excellent experience in booking, fast appointment, lots of time to ask my questions in the appointment… if this is how women experience care then know it’s making a difference”.
What happens next
The hubs are moving into a second year, with funding secured for 2026/27. An independent evaluation is looking at access, outcomes and value for money. The programme will keep gathering feedback from local women and sharing what it learns across London and nationally.