Our work
How we represent forum members
- Covering a wide range of health issues which impact particularly on women from adolescence to old age, including developing guidance and competence for nursing staff.
- Carrying out research to advance and enhance practice.
- Being as inclusive as possible and working collaboratively with other organisations to develop national guidance and policy.
- Organising conferences to spread good practice.
- Recognising the diversity of needs and expectations associated with delivering a high quality, humanistic approach to health so as to empower women into accessing the best available health care.
- Representing the RCN's pool of professional expertise and knowledge.
Read our Women's Health Forum Charter 2023
Contact
Professional Lead: Carmel Bagness - Follow the forum on Twitter @RCNWomensHealth
Our strategy
- Support professional learning and development of women’s health nursing and midwifery.
- Provide women’s health nursing expertise and input to RCN.
- Shape national policy.
- Support RCN activities through income generation.
- Ensure dissemination of relevant information to women’s health community.
What we are currently working on
- We are about to publish guidance on Sexual & Reproductive Health Competencies for Women in Prison.
- We are continuing to work on a joint forum project with, Mental Health, Midwifery and Justice and Forensics Forums on raising awareness around Women’s Mental Health and Trauma Informed Care.
- We are working jointly with the Midwifery Forum, and Fertility Nursing Forum on a position statement around supporting women with reproductive health needs, in the workplace.
- We have just begun anew project on developing guidelines for nurses on supporting women with physical disabilities and women with autism to a successfully access cervical screening.
- We are embarking on a new project to develop guidelines for nurses, midwives, registered nursing associate to best support women who have experienced early pregnancy loss.
- We are also developing new clinical page around Women Health, WH Inclusion and Diversity.
- We continue to review our clinical digital pages (see links below), as well as update a number of our publications.
- Women’s Health Conference - planning is in progress for 10 December 2024.
- We continue to represent the RCN and women's health at a range of relevant national activities (see report below).
Download the PDFs.
- Read our Forum Annual Report 2023
- Read the Women's Health Forum Member Representation - Biannual Report - Sept 23
Recent project completion and evaluation reports
Recent webinars
Sexual and Reproductive Health Competency Framework for Nurses Caring for Women in Prison
Leading, collaborating, influencing
The RCN and its forums are invited to participate in many cross working and multidisciplinary workstreams. Below are a selection of some of the activities that members of the Women's Health Forum are involved in on your behalf.
- All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Women's Health.
- Members of the Forum are involved in the Menstrual Health Coalition.
- Harnessing the potential of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) to improve public health, generate savings, and cut waiting lists. View the consensus statement.
Clinical leadership in gynaecology
Women's Health clinical resources
If you would like to learn more about key areas in Women’s Health, you will find further information via RCN Learn on:
- Overview of women's health
- Endometriosis
- Gynaecological cancers
- Menopause
- Osteoporosis
- Pregnancy and disability
- Promoting menstrual wellbeing, including: Amenorrhoea, Heavy menstrual bleeding, Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome, Period poverty, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Premenstrual Syndromes, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and Uterine fibroids
- Termination of pregnancy
- Urogynaecology.
Women's health cards
This updated, easy to use, reference tool is for nurses and midwives working with women, including in gynaecology, sexual and reproductive health, in all health and social care settings across the UK.
Consultations
The RCN is the voice of nursing, and is invited to contribute to many consultations.
Get involved
Find out more about how to get involved in developing NICE and SIGN guidance
Page last updated - 04/10/2024