The north star

Putting women’s health at the centre of care

Services

Sectors

Health and wellbeing

Client

NHS Executive

Project Name

Women’s Health Plan

Credits

A smiling woman with long brown hair and tattoos on her arms stands indoors, wearing an orange dress. Amy Garrett-Williams holds her hands together and appears to be enjoying a conversation.

Dan Sargent, a man with short curly brown hair and a goatee, smiles whilst standing indoors in a plain white long-sleeved shirt. Flowers and large windows brighten the background.

Jen Burns, a woman with curly hair and glasses, stands smiling in a brightly lit office. Dressed in a white shirt and jeans, she shows excitement with hands raised near her chest, pink-painted nails, and a watch.

A person holds a tablet displaying the NHS Women’s Health Plan 2025–2035 cover, which features a composite image of diverse women’s faces side by side.

NHS Women’s Health Plan for Wales

Women’s health has not always received the attention it deserves. Across Wales, women live more years in poor health than men, face longer waits for treatment and too often have their symptoms dismissed.

More than 50,000 women are currently waiting for gynaecology care, while conditions such as endometriosis still take close to a decade to diagnose.

In December 2024, the NHS Wales Executive launched the Women’s Health Plan for Wales, a 10-year vision to close this gap. Shaped by the voices of more than 3,800 women across Wales, the Plan sets out 60 actions across eight priority areas, from menstrual health and menopause to pelvic health, violence against women and ageing well.

It’s also a pledge to address inequality, break down barriers to care and put women’s health firmly on the national agenda.

A close-up of a woman's face, showing her brown eye, smooth skin with freckles and fine lines, and brown hair tucked behind her ear, set against a soft green background.

A close-up of a young woman's face, showing her left eye, cheek, and part of her smile. She has freckles, dark hair, and is wearing a black headscarf. The background is plain and neutral.

A close-up of an older woman’s face, smiling gently. She wears a turquoise headscarf with yellow and white patterns, and pearl earrings. The background is a smooth teal colour.

A close-up of a young person with curly brown hair, a silver hoop nose ring and septum piercing, light freckles, and a gentle smile. Only half of their face is visible.

A close-up of a woman wearing a light beige hijab, with clear skin, a small beauty mark, and a soft, neutral expression. The background is plain and blurred. Only half of her face is visible in the image.

Close-up of a woman with fair skin, green eyes, and long curly red hair, showing freckles across her cheek and nose. She is softly smiling, and the background is a plain light blue.

Our role

We were proud to be asked by the NHS Executive to help bring this vision to life. Our role was to make sure the Plan’s ambitions were communicated clearly and powerfully, creating something healthcare professionals, policy makers and the public could connect with and rally behind.

We designed the publication and supporting materials to be authoritative yet accessible, bilingual and easy to navigate. The design needed to carry the weight of policy detail, while still feeling human and inspiring.

Women’s Health Plan for Wales launch at the Senedd

Tested with women across Wales

The Plan was informed by women’s voices, and so was its design. We tested the visual direction with women across Wales to ensure it struck the right tone.

Their feedback helped us refine the cover, colour palette and photography, making sure the finished design felt authentic and inclusive. The result was a publication that women could see themselves in – something they would be proud to have represent their experiences and their future.

Four women’s faces of different ages and ethnicities are blended side by side. Overlaid text reads: “The NHS Wales Women’s Health Plan 2025–2035.” NHS Wales and Welsh Government logos appear at the bottom left.

A smiling woman carries a baby in a rucksack carrier outdoors, with the text A 10-year Vision for Women’s Health in Wales and National Strategic Clinical Network for Women’s Health displayed on the left side.

An infographic lists 8 health priorities for women, including menstrual health, endometriosis, contraception, preconception, pelvic health, menopause, violence against women, and ageing. Timelines range from 0–2, 3–5, and 6–10 years.

Three close-up portraits of women of different ages and ethnicities are shown with quotes about cervical screening research and its impact, highlighting the importance, potential benefits, and personal significance of the study.

Three young women wearing hijabs sit and laugh together in front of a bright blue door. A quotation highlights the positive contributions of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic people in Wales.

A map of Wales showing domestic abuse rates by police area: North Wales (red, 28), Dyfed Powys (blue, 22), South Wales (orange, 34), and Gwent (green, 43) incidents per 1,000 population. Text highlights the data and a campaign.

A bar chart shows females aged 15–24 have the highest self-harm admission rates. Beside it, a woman looks upwards. A quote from Dr Chris O’Connor highlights the need for holistic women’s health care integration.

Side-by-side bar charts: Left shows abortion rates per 1,000 women in Wales by deprivation for 2021 and 2022; right shows percentages of abortions by medical or surgical procedure in England and Wales from 2011 to 2021.

An older woman with glasses is smiling warmly. Next to her, text and graphics discuss musculoskeletal conditions, their prevalence, associated health issues, and the increased fracture risk for women over 50.

Impact

The NHS Women’s Health Plan was launched at the Senedd in December 2024 and gained significant attention from media, healthcare bodies and advocacy groups. It was welcomed by organisations including the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists and Endometriosis UK as a bold step forward for women’s health.

By turning a complex strategy into something clear, accessible and inspiring, we helped NHS Wales present a plan that people could engage with and believe in.

The NHS Women’s Health Plan for Wales is about creating a future where women are listened to, supported and able to thrive, and we were honoured to play a part in its launch.