Charity fears Portsmouth’s approach to women’s health hubs “will not be effective” as calls are made for a change

At a recent Portsmouth City Council cabinet decision meeting, officers outlined the city’s plan to enable “equitable access” to women’s health hubs in line with national guidance.

A women’s health hub integrates healthcare professionals and services to meet women’s needs throughout their lives, aiming to reduce health inequalities. There is a national goal to establish at least one women’s health hub in every NHS integrated commissioning board (ICB) area by December 2024.

Nationally, £23m has been committed across all ICBs in England, equating to £595,000 each of non-recurrent funding between 2023-2025. Council documents describe this as a “comparatively small investment,” noting that the integrated sexual health service contract is valued at over £16m annually.

Core services outlined by the Department for Health and Social Care include menstrual problems, menopause assessment and treatment, contraceptive counselling and provision, preconception care, breast pain, pessary fitting and removal, and cervical screening.

In Portsmouth, the “primary focus” is to achieve women’s health hubs through improving general practice, as all these services can be accessed through primary care. However, “quality improvement work” remains a high priority to optimise health outcomes for women.

Speaking on behalf of charity Endometriosis South Coast, Steph Richards said: “Primary care services are structured to treat individual symptoms in isolation rather than in combination.

“This approach can lead to inequality and additional burdens on patients, depending on the caregiver’s understanding of women’s health issues. Many women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, require multidisciplinary care to ensure all patients’ needs are met. This will not happen with a GP approach to women’s health hubs.”

She added that women’s health hubs should also offer services for reproductive and maternal health, gynaecological, sexual, and mental health, along with workshops, seminars, and educational materials on women’s health topics.

Endometriosis is a chronic medical condition affecting one in 10 women of reproductive age in the UK, where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. It can cause severe pain, significantly impact quality of life, and lead to complications with fertility.

The charity Endometriosis UK surveyed 4,371 people with the disease and found that 47 per cent of them had visited their GP ten or more times before receiving a diagnosis.

Cabinet member for community wellbeing, health and care, Cllr Matthew Winnington, said he understands Ms Richards’ “frustration” with how the hub has been set up “but this is a scheme that has been passed down by the government and it’s come through the NHS”.

In response to the criticism, an NHS spokesperson said: “Women’s health hubs are run by multidisciplinary teams of experts, including pelvic physiotherapists, pain management specialists, psychologists, and dieticians, that can provide care and treatment for multiple women’s health needs in one place.

 “The community hubs, which are being expanded across all local areas by next year, are already improving access to high quality, specialist care for thousands of women outside of hospitals – offering a wide range of services, including reproductive, maternal, gynaecological, sexual, and mental health care, as well as community support.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson added: “It is unacceptable that women are waiting up to 10 years for an endometriosis diagnosis and not receiving the care they deserve when they need it. This government is determined to change that.

 “Never again will women’s health be neglected – we will reform the NHS to ensure all women receive the safe, quality care they deserve. “We have started an open investigation into the NHS, led by Professor Lord Darzi, to uncover the extent of the issues facing the nation’s health service and get it back on its feet.”