Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken since the publication of the Women’s Health Strategy, to ensure that all healthcare professionals undertake training on domestic abuse delivered by specialist organisations to ensure trauma-informed practices.

The Department is currently formulating the details of the Women’s Health Strategy in England. The Strategy will be published later this year. NHS England are collaborating with the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Domestic Abuse peer advocacy services and national helplines to direct National Health Service staff to existing specialised training.

All NHS staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training which includes a focus on domestic abuse. NHS England and NHS Improvement and Health Education England continue to review mandatory safeguarding training for all health professionals to ensure that they are fully equipped with the appropriate key skills, knowledge and principles.