Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Deferred
Implement policies ensuring separate spaces for reproductive health and obstetrics patients during investigations/treatment
Conclusion
NHS England should implement policies to ensure there are separate spaces for patients undergoing investigations or treatment for reproductive health conditions and obstetrics patients. (Paragraph 91) Waiting lists
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response did not address the recommendation for separate spaces for reproductive health and obstetrics patients. Instead, it discussed the diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), including the potential role of AMH blood tests and NICE's planned clinical guideline on PCOS.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
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.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗