New inclusivity checklist aims to support better healthcare for women
Women’s health care in Derby and Derbyshire is set to improve thanks to new resources aimed at general practice.
The Inclusivity Checklist, Action Plan and Resource Pack has been produced by a group of representatives including general practice, community leaders, Derby and Derbyshire ICB and public health.
The practical toolkit supports reflection, service review, planning, and quality improvement across themes such as access, communication, cultural sensitivity, community engagement, and early intervention.
The Improving Women’s Health programme was created to better understand and improve the experiences of women, girls, and people with a womb, ovaries or cervix across Derby and Derbyshire.
Issues impacting women’s health include:
- Period problems
- Menopause support
- Contraception
- Preconception care
- Breast pain
- Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI)
- Cervical screening
The programme gathered the real experiences of more than 1,700 people to identify what is working well, where barriers exist, and what changes are needed.
Feedback highlighted areas of concern within general practice including:
- Feeling like staff aren’t always respectful of cultural differences
- Feeling dismissed, or not taken seriously
- Being given information that is difficult to understand
- A lack of trauma informed care
Insights and feedback have now shaped local campaigns and informed pilots such as a new GP practice self‑check tool to improve inclusivity.
Sonya Robotham, patient and public partner, said: “For too long, women have struggled to be heard in primary care.
“This work, developed through genuine co-production and co-creation, helps shift inclusivity from policy into daily practice.
“The checklist supports reflection on power, access, and communication, and is a vital step towards more equitable, trusted care.”
Staff training has also been enhanced, especially on menopause, contraception, and inclusive practice leading to more confident clinicians and more person‑centred care.
Amy Armiger, advanced clinical practitioner at Appletree Medical Practice, has been involved in the project, leading on women’s health champion training.
Amy said: “Most people start their care at their local practice so, it’s really important that staff feel empowered and knowledgeable about the range of women’s health topics and have the right support and tools to improve care and encourage better health.
“We want patients to also feel that they are taken seriously but can also be advocates within their own communities.
“The inclusivity checklist puts ownership on practices to really challenge and question if care is good enough.”
The toolkit will now be rolled out to all practices across Derby and Derbyshire.
You can find further resources and information on the Improving Women’s Health programme on our engagement platform.