Horsham District Women’s Health Survey Report
Although women and girls make up 51% of the UK population, evidence suggests they do not receive the same level of care, investigation, or treatment for common and significant diseases as men. The consequence of this inequality is that women end up with poorer health in more significant disease areas than men.
Local data for Horsham District in the last 2 years shows that smear uptake is lower than the national average, contraceptive uptake has reduced from pre-Covid levels and there has been an increase in sexual offences locally.
In discussion with many local people, clinicians and the community, the problem appears to have worsened in recent years due to increased demand for appointments at GP practices and a deskilling of staff during the Covid pandemic.
Women’s Health Hubs - what are they?
Women’s Health Hubs bring together healthcare professionals and existing services to provide integrated women’s health care in the community, with a focus on meeting women’s needs throughout their lives.
The aim of the Women’s Health Hub is to improve access to and experiences of care, improve health outcomes for women, and reduce health inequalities.
At a neighbourhood level, this will be the first step toward reducing inequalities and providing better access to basics services women require.
Key Findings
- Survey Response:
- 1,247 responses received, representing 1.7% of the female population in Horsham District.
- Over 99% of respondents identified specific health services they’d use if a Women’s Health Hub were developed.
- Challenges Identified:
- Fragmented services often require women to travel outside the district, increasing barriers.
- A lack of access to clinicians specialising in women’s health (e.g., menopause support, contraceptive services).
- Low uptake of cervical screening (below the national target of 80%).
- Demographics:
- Respondents largely in the 18-60 age range.
- Employment status indicates high participation from working women.
Proposed Women’s Health Hub
A central, integrated facility providing:
- Menopause support.
- Cervical screening and contraceptive services.
- Mental health and emotional well-being services.
- Education and awareness programs.
- Support for victims of domestic abuse.
- Overwhelming support for a localised hub with trained professionals.
- Emphasis on flexible appointment times, holistic care, and inclusive access for all women.
Recommendations
- Service Integration: Develop a hub to consolidate services and reduce travel burdens.
- Accessibility: Address barriers like appointment timing, parking, and transport.
- Education & Outreach: Enhance awareness about available services.
- Collaboration: Engage stakeholders across sectors for co-production of the hub.
Horsham District Women’s Health Survey Report
Next steps
The next steps to developing an effective Women’s Health Hub in Horsham.
- The results from the survey will help support improvements and priorities in the way care is provided for women and girls in the Horsham District and Community.
- Bringing together people and services to begin planning and developing a Women’s Health Hub for the Horsham District. Using a co-production approach involving patients, women in the community, Patient Participation Groups, local Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations (VCSE), Primary Care and specialist services.
- Learning from other experiences of Women’s Health Hubs in Sussex and the UK.
- Developing and bring together resources and training information. Supporting both clinicians and non-clinicians to extend their skillset in local practices, the Hub and community organisations.
- Include appropriately trained volunteers to support those attending, helping to promote a level of community ownership.
- Use an approach that embraces personalised care. Evidence shows that supporting women in the decisions they make about their healthcare is essential for achieving best health outcomes and effective use of NHS resources. Personalised care enables people to experience choice and control of their own health needs which increases self-confidence and resilience.
- To initially identify a few key services to focus on, building services according to population need with a focus on accessibility and addressing health inequalities.
