Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
1st Report - Women's reproductive health conditions
Women and Equalities Committee
HC 337
Published 11 December 2024
Recommendations
44
Acknowledged
Para 162
Ensure women's health hubs meet specific demographic needs, accounting for religious and cultural considerations.
Recommendation
Integrated care boards must ensure that their hubs meet the specific demographic needs of their populations, particularly accounting for religious and cultural considerations.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees that hubs must be tailored to local needs and highlights that NHS England is developing an equity framework for ICBs, which hubs are likely to implement. It also notes existing legal duties and programmes for reducing health inequalities.
Government Equalities Office
View Details →
46
Acknowledged
Develop funding and training strategy to address insufficient LARC provision in general practice.
Recommendation
The Government should develop a funding and training strategy to address the lack of LARC provision in general practice, particularly in those areas not covered by a women’s health hub. This should include an assessment of whether the current fee …
Read more
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the vital role of GPs in LARC provision and states it will consider the fee structures for LARC. It also notes that it continues to work with partners to understand training issues, and future funding allocations will be announced later.
Government Equalities Office
View Details →
Conclusions (4)
26
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Data and analysis must improve. The NHS should collect data on where there are delays in the system, where women are being referred from, which could highlight areas where community provision is lacking, which groups of women are most affected by delays, to allow better understanding of health inequalities, how …
Government Response Summary
The government commits to reviewing and updating existing e-learning training packages for primary care practitioners to promote opportunistic reproductive healthcare during routine contacts like the 6-8 week maternal postnatal check. It will also consider what else can be done to maximise routine contact points but does not commit to collecting the specific data points requested to improve analysis of delays and inequalities.
31
Conclusion
Acknowledged
The Government’s plans for the Women’s Health Strategy for England should include support and guidance for women who have conceived as a result of rape, and for children born as a result of rape. This should include tailored information on the NHS website, including on rape-induced gynaecological issues. (Paragraph 113) …
Government Response Summary
The government stated it is working to take forward the Women's Health Strategy for England and will 'take into account' the committee’s recommendations on specific areas of focus, including this one, as part of that ongoing work.
33
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 121
The approval of the anti-mullarian hormone blood test as another tool to assist in the diagnosis of polycycstic ovary syndrome is a welcome development. NHS England should evaluate the merits of rolling it out nationally as a matter of priority.
Government Response Summary
The government stated it is working to take forward the Women’s Health Strategy for England and will consider the committee's recommendations on topics and key indicators, including the evaluation of the anti-mullarian hormone blood test, as part of this ongoing work.
45
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 163
There remains a postcode lottery of access in primary care to long-acting reversible contraception. As a result, some women are having to seek care from secondary or community services, leading to delays in treatment and an unnecessary burden on secondary care. This is a preventable cost to the system and …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the vital role of GPs in LARC provision and states it will consider fee structures and announce future funding allocations in due course, while continuing to work with partners to understand training issues.