National prioritisation exercise shapes £750,000 funding call to improve communication challenges in women’s health

A new targeted Health and Care Research Wales funding call is still open for applications, focussing on six priority research topics around improving communication in women’s health, identified in a recent national prioritisation exercise.

Women’s health is a top priority for Welsh Government, which launched a 10-year plan last December aimed at improving healthcare for women in Wales. This includes commitments to fund research into women’s health conditions and establishing health hubs across the country. 

Women’s health has been historically under-researched, contributing to poorer health outcomes with diagnosis and treatments often based on male experiences.

In Wales alone, women face a 50% chance of misdiagnosis after a heart attack, according to the women’s health plan.

The funding call will see up to £750,000 made available. Projects can run for up to two years and will be assessed on quality and potential impact.

The six topics were identified following an extensive research prioritisation exercise involving the public, conducted between August 2024 and March 2025.

In October 2024, we asked open questions about communication around women’s health, receiving over 500 responses. These were analysed and shaped into 37 key questions.

In January 2025, respondents voted for their top ten , narrowing the list to 17. A workshop followed, where women and practitioners discussed these and voted on their final priorities.

The top six are:

1. How can women and girls with cultural, social or language barriers be supported in accessing health information?

2. How can we effectively talk to women about issues associated with menopause, perimenopause and menstrual health?

3. What are the best ways to train health professionals to communicate effectively with women and girls about their health issues?

4. How can we best communicate with women and girls with learning disabilities about issues relating to their health and healthcare?

5. How can we support and encourage conversations about health issues affecting women and girls in healthcare, schools and the wider society?

6. How can we ensure women and girls feel heard, understood and respected in healthcare consultations? 

Professor Jacky Boivin, Director of the new Women's Health Research Wales centre, funded by Health and Care Research Wales, said: “The prioritisation exercise was vitally important in establishing the focus areas for the new research funding call focused on improving communication in women’s health.

“The launch of a new Women's Health Research Wales centre in Wales is an exciting and crucial step in improving the quality of life and health outcomes for women across Wales.” 

Find out more about the funding call which closes on May 28 and read the full list of priorities on our website.

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