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BHRUT
BHRUT: Implementation of Women’s Health Hubs Advice & Refer (A&R) in Menopause ane Urogynaecology
BHRUT are delighted to share an update on the launch of their new Women’s Health Hub (WHH). They have initiated a soft launch for Urogynaecology services week commencing 15 July, followed by Menopause services week commencing 22 July.
BHRUT are committed to enhancing access to women’s healthcare and the WHH represents a significant step forward in achieving this goal. By locating the hub within the heart of our community, they aim to reduce waiting times for patients and provide better tailored and more convenient care.
From 29 July BHRUT will be introducing separate Directories of Services (DoS) for Urogynaecology and Menopause. This new system will enable them to triage referrals more effectively and expedite appointments.
Please direct all elective referrals for Urogynaecology and Menopause through these new e-RS referral pathways from 29 July onwards.
They anticipate that these initiatives will collectively contribute to a substantial reduction in waiting times for women’s healthcare services. They are confident that the WHH will make a positive impact on the lives of women in our community.
Please find attached further information about the service the Hub will offer to our patients.
Thank you for your continued support.
TOWER HAMLETS
Single Point of Access for women’s health advice and triage to the right service
Women’s Health Hub clinics led by a multidisciplinary team
Why a Women’s Health Hub?
Tower Hamlets faces significant challenges in managing women’s health:
·increasing demand for care, particularly for chronic problems like menopause, menstrual health, PCOS and other pelvic health
·variable confidence and skill sets in managing women’s health in primary care
·convoluted pathways across community, general and specialist services
·long wait times
·women going to the wrong sub-specialty clinics
·inefficient use of outpatient capacity
Overview of changes to Gynaecology referral pathways
Single Point of Access
From Friday 1st December 2023, all GP requests for advice or referrals for gynaecology services go through a Single Point of Access – except for 2 week waits, women in pregnancy, abortions, emergency gynaecology and <16 year olds.
On ERS, GPs will use, within the Gynaecology specialty:
Advice & Guidance – Tower Hamlets Women’s Health Hub Single Point of Access – Barts Health NHS Trust – R1
Advice and triage provided by a MDT, including:
·Consultant Gynaecologist
·Sexual and Reproductive Health Consultant
·GP with a Special Interest (GPSI) in Women’s Health
·Administrator
on Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning and Thursday morning
We are also working towards providing a hotline for GPs to briefly discuss any queries they may have.
Practised running through Advice & Guidance over last 6 weeks and reduced backlog.
Aim to improve quality of advice and more efficient use of services (including new Women’s Health Hub clinics)
Women’s Health Hub clinics
MDT at Sylvia Pankhurst Centre/Community Women’s Health Services at Mile End Hospital
On Wednesdays and Fridays starting on Wednesday 3rd January 2024.
For common gynaecological needs (not requiring invasive investigation), including:
Menorrhagia, LARC (contraception and menorrhagia), Postnatal care 8 weeks plus, Chronic Pelvic pain, Vaginismus, AUB, Menopause, Urogynaecology, Urinary incontinence, PMS, PCOS, Difficult smears/ difficult threads, Biopsies (vulval).
The clinics are run by:
·GPs with a Special Interest (GPSI) in Women’s Health who are experienced GPs working in Tower Hamlets practices.
·Physiotherapist offering specialist assessment and rehabilitation for pelvic, bladder and bowel pain and dysfunction. They support women for incontinence, chronic pelvic pain, vaginismus, sexual intercourse issues and post-natal care (beyond 6-8 weeks).
·Specialist Nurse e.g. for LARC insertion for menorrhagia and/or contraception, biopsies and difficult coil thread checks.
·Sonographer to ensure that any patients requiring scanning can be identified, scanned and receive other investigations and care within the same visit.
·Sexual and Reproductive Health Consultant and Consultant Gynaecologist for specialist care and to provide necessary training, supervision and support for other members of the team.
·Health Care Assistant
What else?
Joint NEL work / plans:
·North East London Community Gynaecology weekly drop-in
every Wednesday at 1:00-2:00pm on MS Teams to discuss cases, ask questions, or listen and learn. Gynaecologists/SRH Consultants from North East London (Homerton, Barts and BHR) give advice or answer questions on anything related to women’s health e.g. menopause, menstrual health, contraception and vulvovaginal problems. Please email guyslade@nhs.net if you want the meeting invite or more information – or you can join the meeting here
·Development of common pathways
·Shared evaluation of our Women’s Health Hub services
·Exploring potential for shared roles across North East London, e.g. women’s health dietitian
·We are also open to ideas from primary care and others about how we can achieve our aims during the pilot
Work will begin soon on the business case for a service after the pilot ends from September 2024.
WALTHAM FOREST
Following the introduction of the single point of access for the Whipps Cross area in August 2024, GPs in Waltham Forest & Redbridge are referring women to the Whipps Cross Hospital Women’s Health Hub and weekly clinics will commence in April 2025.
The Hub forms part of a wider Women’s Health Strategy for England, which aims to improve women’s health over the next 10 years and encourages the expansion of Women’s Health Hubs across the country. It is one of four Women’s Health Hubs which are now up and running across north east London.
Women’s Hubs bring together a range of different healthcare professionals and local services to support women with their health needs, including gynaecology, sexual health, pelvic pain, menopause care and more.
Following the success of the Barts Health Tower Hamlet’s Women’s Health Hub, which reduced patient waiting times by 33% and decreased appointment wait times from 27 to 11 weeks, Whipps Cross Hospital was commissioned to deliver a similar service for Waltham Forest and the surrounding Redbridge area.
The Waltham Forest service is accepting referrals for women across the borough. GPs can refer to the service or request advice through the e-Referral Service (e-RS) by selecting the following option:
Advice & Guidance – Gynaecology Women’s Health Hub – Whipps Cross – Barts Health NHS Trust – R1H
Referrals are clinically triaged and patients will either be referred into the Women’s Health Hub clinics, a secondary care gynaecology specialist clinic, or advice will be given back to the GP as to how to support them within primary care. This referral management system aims to reduce waiting times for assessment and treatment and improve access to specialist hospital treatment for those who need it.
The Hubs can support patients with many health issues including:
- Treatment for period problems including heavy, painful or irregular bleeding
- Care for conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Menopause treatment
- Pelvic pain
- Pelvic floor disorders and prolapse
- Premenstrual syndrome and Disorders
- Cervical screening
- Screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV
- Contraception
- Pre-conception care
- Leaking bladder or incontinence
- Breast pain assessment and care
- Pessary fitting and removal
Clinics have been held on weekends, with weekday capacity starting in April 2025. Recruitment for the Hub is underway for a multi-disciplinary team, including specialist consultants, GPs, physiotherapists, nursing, and support roles, who will deliver the service.
The service is led by Miss Nandita Deo, Clinical Lead Women’s Health Hub, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Whipps Cross Hospital.
Please look out for further updates about the new Hub and improvements to women’s health across north east London.
Contact details: bartshealth.wxh.womenshub@nhs.net