Digital innovation aims to close women’s health gap across UK healthcare systems

The women’s health expert panel at HETT25: MaryAnn Ferreux, Aamena Salar, Amber Vodegel, Katherine Church, Jayprit Serai, and Sanhita Chakrabati. © HETT

Digital health technologies are being deployed across the UK to improve women’s healthcare, as NHS leaders and clinicians explore new ways to reduce inequalities, improve access to services, and better integrate care across community and hospital settings.

At the HETT (Healthcare Excellence Through Technology) North conference in Manchester in June 2026, speakers highlighted how data-driven approaches, digital tools, and patient-centred care models are being used to address long-standing gaps in women’s health provision.

Women’s health hubs as a model for integrated care

A key focus of the discussion was the development of women’s health hubs, which are designed to bring together multiple services in a single, coordinated setting. These hubs aim to reduce fragmentation in care by allowing patients to address several health concerns in one appointment, rather than attending separate consultations for individual issues.

NHS leaders described how these hubs are already being implemented in parts of England, supported by the Women’s Health Strategy. Early evaluations suggest they can improve patient experience and access to services such as contraception, menopause support, and treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding, while also helping to ease pressure on secondary care services.

Using data to identify inequalities

Speakers at the conference emphasised the importance of data collection in identifying gaps in care and understanding population health needs. By analysing trends such as deprivation, ethnicity, and service usage, healthcare teams are better able to target interventions and allocate resources more effectively.

In one example from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, digital maternity records were used to create dashboards highlighting health inequalities among pregnant women. This enabled clinicians to identify higher-risk groups and tailor interventions more quickly.

Digital records and patient empowerment

Electronic patient record systems were highlighted as a major driver of change in maternity and women’s health services. These systems allow healthcare professionals to standardise data collection while also giving patients access to their own health information.

Clinicians described how web-based maternity notes and self-referral systems are helping women engage more directly with their care. Patients can monitor conditions such as blood pressure or gestational diabetes and take a more active role in managing their health.

Expanding access through digital platforms

Digital tools linked to the NHS App were also discussed as a way to improve access to personalised care pathways. These technologies can support earlier intervention and more tailored treatment plans, particularly when combined with structured clinical data.

However, speakers also warned that unequal access to technology risks widening health disparities. Concerns were raised about digital exclusion, particularly among groups who may not have access to smartphones, reliable internet, or digital literacy support.

Growing demand for women’s health services

Conference contributors noted increasing demand for services related to fertility, menopause, and reproductive health, alongside a continued need for mental health support. Anxiety and depression remain among the most common conditions presenting in primary care among women, highlighting the need for more integrated mental health provision within women’s health strategies.

Addressing a broader systemic gap

The discussions reflected a wider concern in healthcare policy: that women’s health has historically been under-researched and often focused narrowly on reproductive health, while broader conditions affecting women across their lifespan have received less attention.

Speakers argued that improving equity will require not only digital innovation, but also better data use, stronger patient involvement, and sustained investment in community-based services.

As the NHS continues its digital transformation agenda, women’s health was described as a key area where technology could help shift care from hospital-centred treatment toward more preventative, personalised, and accessible models.