Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide (a) comprehensive healthcare guidance on and (b) access to specialised gynaecological support for (i) the management of menstruation, (ii) contraception options, (iii) safe pregnancy care and (iv) other related matters for people with spinal cord injuries.

The Government will prioritise women’s health, placing women’s equality at the heart of our agenda, and ensuring that women’s health is never neglected again. NHS England Specialised Commissioning has a Clinical Reference Group (CRG) for specialised women’s services that provides clinical advice and leadership for complex obstetrics and maternity, and complex gynaecology and fertility preservation services. Specialist gynaecological services are commissioned in line with the service specification published by the CRG.

Furthermore, there is a CRG for rehabilitation, and complex disability and spinal cord injury services. Specialist services for spinal cord injuries are commissioned in line with the service specification published by the CRG. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also has guidance on the assessment and early management of spinal cord injuries, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng41

Menstrual problems and symptoms, such as heavy or painful periods, are common and can have a significant impact on women and girls’ wellbeing, and their participation in education and the workplace. We also recognise that having a spinal cord injury can create additional challenges for women and girls when it comes to managing their period. A range of treatments are available and can help manage menstrual symptoms and gynaecological conditions. Women and girls should contact their general practice (GP) if menstrual problems are affecting their daily life.

In November 2023, NHS England published a decision support tool for managing heavy periods. This tool supports women’s understanding of their symptoms and appropriate treatment options, to support discussion with clinicians.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has published a Women’s Health Library which brings together educational resources and guidelines on women’s health from the RCGP, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. This resource is continually updated to ensure GPs and other primary healthcare professionals have the most up-to-date advice, to provide the best care for their patients.

We are committed to ensuring that the public receives equitable access to the best possible contraceptive services. Different methods of contraception are available from a range of different settings, including direct from pharmacies, both prescribed and over the counter, from GPs, and from local authority commissioned sexual and reproductive health services.

The NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service was launched in April 2023, enabling pharmacists to issue ongoing supplies of contraception initiated in GP surgeries and sexual health services. The service relaunched in December 2023 to enable community pharmacies to also initiate oral contraception. This service offers greater choice in how people can access contraception services. It will also create additional capacity in GP and sexual health clinics to support meeting the demand for more complex assessments.

The Government will continue to work with the NHS as it delivers its three-year maternity and neonatal plan to grow our maternity workforce, develop a culture of safety, and ensure women and babies receive safe, compassionate care.