Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) GP surgeries, and (2) community sexual health clinics, offering contraceptive services across England have restricted access to long-acting reversible contraception due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The average waiting time for a woman accessing long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is not collected centrally. Data on restricted access to long-acting reversible contraception due to the COVID-19 pandemic in general practitioner surgeries and community sexual health clinics is also not currently available centrally.

The provision of LARC services is particularly challenging currently due to access not being possible remotely.

The Department is working with Public Health England and others to reduce waiting lists and backlogs that have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare have also published clinical advice to support ongoing provision of effective contraception which health professionals should work to.