Women's Health Network

The Women's Health Network identifies and addresses health issues and inequalities affecting women and their families living in Bradford district and Craven, and is supported by the Engaging People grant.

In the past year the Women’s Health Network has thrived, developing an action plan and setting its own direction based on the issues that matter most to members, as well as the issues that the three Bradford district and Craven clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) want to address.

For example, members identified that women can often experience challenges due to a lack of information about menopause. They highlighted the negative impacts on women’s wellbeing and that menopause was often considered a taboo subject.

As a result, the Women’s Health Network is piloting Menopause Cafe's across Bradford to provide a safe space for conversations about menopause. They aim to increase the awareness of the impact of the menopause on those experiencing it, their friends, colleagues and families. The sessions are unstructured, to enable open discussions in a confidential space.

Women’s Health Network members have also been active participants in our Talk Cancer programme, and as a result went on to create a show on BCB Radio about the importance of cancer screening.

The short video below explains more about the Women's Health Network and how people can get involved:

The women's health network and our CCGs will: 

• identify and better understand the issues that impact on why women choose to access health services and why they choose not to
• identify gaps in services
• work collectively with the Bradford CCGs to design and develop services which meet the needs of local women
• work with local communities and organisations to ensure assets (resources, properties, skills and talents) within communities to improve women's health are used well
• make sure important health messages are clear, easy to understand and are shared effectively
• create opportunities to help women improve not only their own health and wellbeing but that of their family and friends
• have a strong, open and transparent relationship and use the outcomes of the Women's Health Network to achieve better health outcomes for the women of Bradford. 

Further information

• interim report
• final report
• clinical priorities
• terms of reference
• draft action plan
• meeting minutes - May 2019 (accompanying documents: My Wellbeing College leaflet, My Wellbeing College presentation, My Wellbeing College poster, Pennine Breast Screening presentation)
• meeting minutes - March 2019 (accompanying documents: five ways to wellbeing workshop, Act Early - Born in Bradford, Volunteer Centre service) 
• meeting minutes - December 2018
• meeting minutes - September 2018