The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has published a statement following the Government announcement of funding of £25 million for women’s health hub expansion.
Women across England will be able to access the new women’s health hubs for services for menstrual problems, contraception, pelvic pain, menopause care and more.
A spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said:
“We welcome the Government’s funding announcement to support the setup of Women’s Health Hubs. Hubs were a central solution to addressing the many barriers faced by women accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare that RCOG put forward in our 2019 report, Better for Women.
“At present, accessing basic care is often challenging for women, who often find themselves shuttled back and forth between GP surgeries, sexual health clinics and hospitals due to the way treatments are funded and delivered. Gynaecology waiting lists have also risen significantly through the pandemic, leaving thousands of women managing symptoms like heavy menstrual bleeding and pain for far too long. Hubs have the potential to reduce waiting lists in gynaecology by making it easier for women to access care in primary care and sexual health services for things like heavy menstrual bleeding and incontinence.
“By better integrating primary, secondary and sexual health services, these hubs have the potential to make a real difference to women’s health throughout their lives. Delivering services more efficiently, in a joined up way, will also save the NHS time and money. We now urge local Integrated Care Boards to prioritise establishing these”.