Norfolk and Waveney set for new £600k women's health hub

The hub, which will be offering support for needs including menopause and contraception, will not exist in a physical form.

Instead, the project will see the creation of a 'virtual hub' which aims to improve access to services across the region.

The investment will see several existing services expanded through additional staff training - such as providing menopause awareness courses and training up additional contraception fitters.

The virtual hub will also see staff travel across the county using the Wellness on Wheels bus to carry out cervical screenings, massage and signpost support services.

IMPROVEMENTS AND 'GEOGRAPHIC INEQUALITIES'

The funding for the hub is part of a wider NHS scheme to improve access to women's health, which has seen every integrated care board in the country allocated £595,000 to establish similar schemes.

Frankie Swords, executive medical director of NHS Norfolk and Waveney, said the decision to create the 'virtual' hub had been made to avoid creating geographic inequalities.

She said: "The decision to establish a virtual women's health hub was driven by the feedback provided at a large stakeholder workshop as well as the geographical size and diversity of the area.

"With communities spread across a wide region, a single, physical hub would leave many women underserved.

"A virtual model allows us to deliver care more flexibly and equitably."

She added that the approach also assured that using the two-year funding to develop skills would allow the benefits to continue beyond this period - while a physical hub would have been forced to close if the funding was not renewed.

She added: "By employing a virtual model, and focusing on education, healthcare staff can use the training and expertise they gain as part of this initiative well beyond the two-year period."

'IT NEEDS TO GO FURTHER'

Sharon Plummer (Image: Newsquest) While the investment has been welcomed, women's health campaigner Sharon Plummer said she would have been keen to see a physical hub established.

Mrs Plummer, a Norwich-based personal trainer, said: "Anything that creates more awareness of the issues women face is wonderful, but I think it needs to go further.

"Often when money is spent on women's health services it can feel like just ticking a box and does not think always about every aspect of our needs."

Mrs Plummer said that a physical hub would have been beneficial as it would have helped to encourage women to speak more openly about their challenges.

She said: "Women love to gather and nothing is more helpful than being able to share their story with somebody and hear that they know what they are going through and understand.

"I feel that women are now becoming more educated about what help is out there and where they can go, but having a physical place would be much better.

"It sometimes feels as though we're very good at focussing on the medical aspects - such as giving out medication - but less so on other aspects like lifestyle choices and diet.

"Sometimes women need more than simply being given medication for example."

FIRST POINT OF CONTACT

The hub is being designed to expand upon primary care services, rather than replace them, with GPs still set to be first point of contact for women.

But it aims to improve access to support in a number of areas, including menopause and perimenopause, sexual health and cervical screening.

The plans are due to be discussed by Norfolk's health overview and scrutiny committee on Thursday, during which councillors will be able to quiz health bosses over the vision.