Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Deferred
Paragraph: 65
Healthcare practitioners insufficiently understand reproductive health treatment options and their impact on patients.
Conclusion
Healthcare practitioners lack sufficient understanding of the range and suitability of treatment options available to treat reproductive health conditions. Too often conditions are viewed through the prism of fertility which, while a necessary consideration, should not be the only factor influencing a clinician’s judgement. There is also an evident lack of empathy in primary care around the adverse effects some treatment options may have on a patient. For example, approaches which focus on managing symptoms rather than diagnosis risk diseases progressing with potentially life altering consequences.
Government Response Summary
The government did not address the core recommendation about practitioners' lack of understanding, empathy, and narrow focus on fertility. It instead acknowledged the negative impact of mixed waiting areas and committed that NHS England will publish the findings of the NHS maternity and neonatal estates survey in early 2025.
Paragraph Reference:
65
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
We sympathise with anyone suffering with infertility. We acknowledge the report’s finding that hospital waiting areas and wards that bring together patients with reproductive health conditions and women who are pregnant, or have recently given birth, can have a negative effect on mental health and may prevent patients from seeking further medical support. Estates are managed by individual providers and local systems, which are responsible for organising the delivery of services based on their capacity, needs and available resources. Decisions regarding the allocation of space must consider local factors, including demand and existing infrastructure, and the setting in which care is being delivered. NHS England will publish the findings of the NHS maternity and neonatal estates survey, which examined compliance against the current estates standards, including the requirements of neonatal parental accommodation. The government’s response to the House of Lords Preterm Birth Inquiry committed to publishing the survey in early 2025 and the ambition remains to publish it as soon as possible.