Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Integrated Care Board (ICB) which provided an update on the Women’s Health Programme across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 10’, is filed with these minutes.

The Committee welcomed to the meeting for this item Melanie Thwaites, Head of Women’s, Maternity and Neonatal Transformation, ICB, Katie Connor, Women’s Programme Manager, ICB, Laura French, Consultant in Public Health and Women’s Programme Champion, Leicester City Council and Hollie Hutchinson, Public Health Specialist and Women’s Programme Champion, Leicestershire County Council.

Arising from discussions the following points were made:

(i)           In response to an observation that the Women’s Health Programme was focused towards younger women, it was explained that it was a 10 year programme and whilst at the moment it focused on the key elements of the national Women’s Health Strategy, in future years the focus would widen to the full life course.

(ii)         With regards to a comment about a lack of publicity in Rutland regarding Women’s Health Hubs, it was explained that each individual Hub had been responsible for its own public communications. In response to a query as to whether a woman could refer herself directly to a Women’s Health Hub it was explained that the Rutland Hub was only accessible through GP Practices currently, but an end of year review would be taking place and consideration would be given to widening out access in year 2. The Leicester City Hub had a policy of not turning women away. The benefits of women being able to self-refer into services were acknowledged by the Women’s Health Programme. Currently women were able to self-refer into sexual health services and going forward it was hoped more self-referral would be able to take place using technology such as the NHS app but the technology would take time to implement.

(iii)        A member raised concerns about women living on their own and the negative impacts of loneliness. The member suggested that more needed to be done to publicise what social activities and support services were available. The Leicestershire County Council Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee had recently considered a report from the Director of Public Health regarding the work that took place regarding social isolation and loneliness in Leicestershire including the work of Local Area Co-ordinators. Reassurance was given that a number of NHS workstreams also tackled social isolation. It was also noted that the voluntary sector did a lot of work in this regard. The Women’s System Partnership would be linking in more with the VCSE. It was suggested that at a future meeting the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee could consider a report regarding the work the NHS carried out with regards to isolation i.e. the social prescribing model across LLR and its effectiveness in directing patients/public to services.

(iv)       Concerns were raised that perinatal mental health inpatient services were no longer being provided in LLR. In response it was explained that there were no plans to reintroduce those services but there were plans to provide an expanded community perinatal mental health service.

(v)         In response to a query as to whether there was a freeze on band 5 midwives coming into the service it was agreed that this would be checked with UHL and clarification provided after the meeting.

(vi)       In response to concerns raised about the adequacy of measures in place to help wheelchair bound women with cervical smear tests and a lack of knowledge and data about the scale of the problem, it was agreed to check this point with the Cancer Partnership and provide further detail after the meeting.

(vii)      Concerns were raised that the number of women who died during pregnancy was the highest in 20 years and also that black women were four times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth. A lot of work was taking place nationally and locally to understand the causes of this. A training package had been put together for midwives regarding cultural differences and unconscious bias.

(viii)    For data collection purposes a maternal death included any death during pregnancy or 6 weeks after birth.

RESOLVED:

That the update regarding the Women’s Health Programme be welcomed.