Ensuring a joined-up approach in which women can be seen for a number of “maintenance” health issues in a single appointment is a priority for the government’s Women’s Health Strategy.
Women’s health ambassador Dame Lesley Regan (pictured) outlined the plans to the audience at Wellbeing of Women’s first summit, which was supported by WPA.
Regan who took on her new role following the government’s decision to appoint a Women’s Health Ambassador at the end of last year, is also Wellbeing of Women’s chairwoman.
Asked by journalist Mariella Frostrup about her priorities for the Women’s Health Strategy, Regan told delegates that feedback from women and organisations had indicated women were not getting a good deal in terms of NHS appointments for issues that are not illnesses.
“You need to go to a single appointment or a single place to access a lot of those maintenance health issues,” Regan said.
“So, you need to be able to go and get your contraception sorted out and the problem periods alleviated and at the same time possibly doing a scan or whatever and then you need to have your smear done.”
But Regan said she wanted to go further and ensure that women could have a mammogram done at the same appointment because they do not take very long.
She added that the NHS expects women to attend four or five different appointments for different health issues and the service could be doing a lot better.
“We are funding lots of hospitals or community clinics where they are only allowed to do one thing,” she continued.
“We’re paying a lot of receptionists and a lot of healthcare professionals to tell you that you can’t have something.”