40 Accepted in Part

We are concerned that women’s health hubs have not been specified in the 2025/6 operational...

Recommendation
We are concerned that women’s health hubs have not been specified in the 2025/6 operational planning guidance. There is a high risk that without a central requirement to deliver women’s health hubs, and with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) required to find substantial efficiency savings, they will be scaled back or discontinued. We believe this would be a disaster for girls’ and women’s menstrual health, when it is in dire need of more support. Given that key aims of the Government’s 10-year Health Plan for England, including prevention and community-based care, have been shown to be well supported by women’s health hubs, it would be self-defeating of the Government to deny ICBs the funding they need to maintain and develop them. The Government should protect the hubs that have been created, ensure no rollback of services and explore how best practice can be disseminated as widely as possible. (Conclusion, Paragraph 158)
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts the recommendation to protect women's health hubs and prevent service rollbacks. It commits to a renewed national commitment to hubs and increased accountability in the refreshed Women's Health Strategy but rejects additional ringfenced funding, believing Integrated Care Boards are best placed to allocate resources.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government Accepted in Part
The Government partially accepts recommendations 39, 40 and 41. The government recognises the significant role women’s health hubs play in improving access to holistic care for women across England and acknowledges the need for consistent and comprehensive provision across all areas of the country. The government has invested £25 million since the publication of the first Women’s Health Strategy in 2022, to support ICBs to establish and embed women’s health hubs. This investment has led to the establishment of women’s health hubs in all 42 ICB areas, significantly improving access to integrated women’s health care across the country. The refreshed Women’s Health Strategy will set out a renewed national commitment to women’s health hubs across England, building on the success of the initial investment. This will include a focus on extending the benefits of women’s health hubs to girls and women across the country, ensuring that all hubs meet the core specification and address inconsistencies in provision. However, the government does not accept the recommendation for additional ringfenced funding for women’s health hubs beyond the existing investment. ICBs are best placed to determine how to allocate their resources to meet the specific needs of their local populations, including for women’s health hubs. While the government remains committed to supporting women’s health hubs, it believes that continuing to ringfence funding would limit ICBs’ flexibility to respond to local priorities and achieve better integration of services. The government will continue to work with ICBs to support the successful establishment and embedding of women’s health hubs. This will include providing guidance, sharing best practices, and ensuring that women’s health hubs are integrated into operational planning processes. The renewed Women’s Health Strategy will also include increased accountability mechanisms to ensure that all hubs meet the core specification and deliver high-quality, integrated care.
Addressee Bodies
Government Equalities Office
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.4 yrs
Report published 04 Mar 2026