The Women’s and Girls’ Health Hub in Lambeth is a collaborative neighbourhood model co-developed with residents to improve access to holistic women’s health support closer to where people live.
The Hub provides joined-up care for women and girls aged 13 and over, helping them access the right support at the right time while reducing unnecessary hospital referrals and improving health outcomes.
How the hub works
The Women’s and Girls’ Health Hub combines specialist clinical expertise with community-based support to provide integrated care across Lambeth. The model brings together primary care, hospital specialists, community organisations and local partners to improve women’s health through prevention, early intervention and coordinated care.
Clinical model
The hub brings together a virtual triage clinic between primary and secondary care to provide specialist advice and guidance back to general practice. Women requiring in-person appointments are booked into the community-based clinic. The community-based clinic is delivered from Minnie Kidd House in Clapham. This approach enables more women to receive specialist support without joining hospital waiting lists, whilst ensuring those requiring face-to-face assessment are seen closer to home.
Community outreach
Improving women’s health extends beyond clinical services. Alongside the Hub, Lambeth has developed a comprehensive community outreach programme designed to increase awareness, reduce stigma and improve access to trusted health information.
Lambeth Health and Wellbeing Champions
Lambeth Health and Wellbeing Champions on the Lambeth Together Health and Wellbeing Bus have received specialist training to support conversations about women’s health within their local communities.
They help women and girls:
- Understand available services
- Access trusted health information
- Navigate local support
- Build confidence to seek help early
This work is helping to normalise conversations about women’s health and reach communities that may not traditionally engage with NHS services. Through its neighbourhood-based approach, the outreach programme has helped strengthen links between local practices, residents and community organisations, ensuring that women receive support that is both accessible and culturally appropriate.
Working with voluntary and community organisations
A programme of locally delivered projects improves awareness, access and support, particularly for communities experiencing inequalities.
These include:
- It’s time to talk menopause – Baytree Centre
- Wellbeing and creative workshops – Sister2SisterBU
- Addressing menstrual and menopausal health in inpatient care – Lambeth Hospital (Florence Ward)
- Footballers period – Girls United FA
- Girl talk – MTVH
- Women-only self-defence classes – MTVH
- Women and girls wellbeing workshops (women’s circle) – High Trees
- Menopause 4 carers – Carers4Carers
- Beth’s bakers and baristas: conversation café – Women in Prison
- H.E.R health (her health, her power) – Milk Honey Bees
- Reproductive Health Focus Groups for Black Women, NAZ Project
These projects create trusted spaces for information, peer support and early support.
Hills Brooks and Dales Women’s Health Network (WHN)
The WHN, brings together social prescribers, GP practices, community organisations and local partners to help women access holistic support beyond clinical care. The network plays an important role in bridging the gap between healthcare services and community resources, ensuring women receive personalised support that reflects their individual needs and circumstances.
The network helps women access:
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- Physical activity programmes
- Peer support groups
- Welfare and financial advice
- Mental wellbeing support
- Community activities
- Voluntary sector services
- Through this coordinated approach, HBD PCN supports women to address the wider social, economic and emotional factors that influence health and wellbeing, helping to reduce inequalities and improve long-term outcomes through personalised, community-centred care.
How it was developed
The Women’s and Girls’ Health Hub forms part of South East London Integrated Care Board’s commitment to developing integrated Women’s and Girls’ Health Hubs across the region. The hub was developed in a series of co-design workshops with local residents following a health needs assessment combining NHS data and community insight.
Over 1,600 women contributed, identifying priorities including easier access to contraception and screening, better menopause and menstrual support, culturally appropriate care, and clearer information and pathways. This shaped a model focused on accessibility, prevention and reducing health inequalities.
Next steps
The women’s health hub in Lambeth is continuing to develop as part of a wider South East London approach. Next steps include expanding access across the borough, strengthening outreach and community partnerships, improving digital access and information, and further integration across primary care, sexual health and maternity services. Ongoing evaluation is informing future investment and potential scale-up.