On Friday 24 January guests gathered to celebrate a successful first six months of the Burmantofts, Harehills, and Richmond Hill Women’s* Health Hub.
The hub was set up with national funding and support from NHS England to bring accessible gynaecology services closer to home, and provides general gynaecology services within a primary care setting, delivered by GPs and non-clinical staff, including patient ambassadors.
These ambassadors have led various support groups and educational sessions, such as a menopause walking group and a polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) support group. The hub has notably reduced waiting times and improved access to essential health services for women in the community.
To mark this milestone, an event was held on 24 January at Shine in Harehills where guests received a presentation from the Leeds Women’s Health Hub team and patient ambassadors showcased their role in the programme.
The event featured distinguished guests, including Dr Sue Mann, the first National Clinical Director for women’s health, and delegates from the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust and the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board. The event was also attended by local third sector leaders.
Dr Nadia Anderson, Clinical Director of Burmantofts, Harehills and Richmond Hill Primary Care Network, said: “Primary Care Networks exist to put in place practical and sustainable solutions to health and care issues that are prevalent in their localities, and the Women’s Health Hub is a shining example of how we’re doing that in Burmantofts, Harehills and Richmond Hill.
“People are at the heart of what we do, and over the past six months the hard work that people from across the twelve GP practices that make up our Primary Care Network has made a real and positive difference to local women and the way they interact with health services.”
Dr Sue Mann, NHS National Clinical Director for Women’s Health, said: “Having spent my career researching, treating, and developing policy and initiatives focused on women’s health, it’s been wonderful to see how the Women’s Health Hubs are benefitting local women in east Leeds.
“Primary Care services like this are vital to reducing health inequalities faced by women. They offer women the chance to meet other women who may be in a similar situation to them and offer much-need social support as well as medical care. I’m honoured to have been invited to this event celebrating the first six months, and it’s great to see how local people and clinicians are working to improve the lives of local people.”
* In this article, as well as in the service, we use ‘woman’ as shorthand as we find it is accessible for those with a translation need. We do not only mean by this, nor do we only provide care to, people who were assigned female at birth. Our aim is to provide inclusive, patient centred care, including for individuals whose gender identity does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth, are gender non-binary, or otherwise gender minoritised. The women’s health hub is an inclusive space for anyone referred to gynaecology services.”