Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to join up the budgets and commissioning for sexual and reproductive health and women’s health.

The Department has no plans to join up the budgets and commissioning for sexual and reproductive health and wider women’s health. Local authorities across England are responsible for commissioning comprehensive, open access sexual and reproductive health services to meet local demand, and it is for them to decide on commissioning arrangements based on an assessment of local need.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services for women’s health issues such as gynaecological conditions, maternity, or menopause as well as other health services that meet the needs of their populations. This will empower local health and care leaders to join up planning and provision of services, both within the National Health Service and with local authorities and help deliver more person-centred and preventative care.

In addition, the Women’s Health Strategy for England encourages local commissioners and providers to consider adopting models of care which bring together essential women’s services, for example through women’s health hubs.