Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 20
20
Accepted
Paragraph: 89
Offer specialist mental health support to individuals with reproductive health conditions from first symptoms through treatment
Conclusion
Individuals with a suspected or diagnosed reproductive health condition should be offered specialist mental health support from when they start to report distressing and/or painful symptoms and throughout diagnosis and treatment. Delays at each step of the process and a lack of treatment options make mental health support all the more essential.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government highlights existing Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) providing 24/7 care and enhanced mental health pathways for victims of rape and sexual assault. It states NHS England will review and develop website content for those needing help, and will consider the committee's broader recommendations as the Women’s Health Strategy is taken forward.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
89
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
It is unacceptable that too many women are not receiving the mental healthcare they need and deserve, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. Reproductive health conditions can have a significant impact on women’s mental health. As part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and there when people need it, this government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, which will also help ease pressure on busy mental health services. All NHS services and professionals caring for women should be familiar with taking a holistic approach to care, where physical and mental health needs are considered and managed together, providing emotional and psychological support to citizens as part of physical health services. In some instances, there may be a need for additional specialist mental health input where clinical thresholds are met. For women who do require additional mental health support alongside treatment for their condition, several pathways are available. For example, NHS talking therapies services provide evidence-based psychological therapies for individuals with: depression anxiety disorders long-term physical health conditions medically unexplained symptoms Since financial year 2018 to 2019, all NHS talking therapies services have been commissioned to establish dedicated pathways for people living with long-term physical health conditions. In some areas, these services provide psychological support specifically for women with reproductive health conditions. Specialist perinatal mental health services also support women with moderate to severe or complex mental health problems during and after pregnancy. They include: specialist community perinatal mental health teams inpatient mother and baby units maternal mental health services
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