Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the recommendations of the report by the Getting It Right First Time programme entitled Maternity and Gynaecology, published in September 2021, what steps his Department is taking to provide primary care practitioners with (a) training and (b) other resources to deliver long-acting reversible contraception as part of treatment options for women with heavy menstrual bleeding.

The 2021 Getting It Right First Time national report for maternity and gynaecology recommended that clinical commissioning groups, now integrated care boards (ICBs), commission contraceptive and sexual health services to provide intrauterine devices, which are a form of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) for heavy menstrual bleeding, in relevant cases. ICBs may commission sexual health services or general practices (GPs) to offer LARC as a locally enhanced service to their local population. It is for ICBs to decide on commissioning arrangements for their area, based on an assessment of local need.

The Department is continuing to work with NHS England to support the establishment of at least one pilot women’s health hub in every integrated care system, following a £25 million investment. A core service offered by hubs is treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding and provision of LARC. By providing an enhanced and more specialist service through hubs in the community, they enable women to be more effectively diagnosed and treated promptly in the community. The hubs also provide a centre for the training and support to GPs to help with upskilling, and reduce variation in the care that women can expect to receive.

Other training and guidance are available for primary care practitioners. For example, the Royal College of General Practitioners has developed a Women’s Health Library, drawing together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health, so primary healthcare professionals have the most up-to-date information for their patients. The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare also offers a range of contraception qualifications that healthcare professionals can undertake.