Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 17.7 of the NHS Standard Contract 2024/25 Service Conditions, published in February 2024, what steps her Department is taking to offer reusable period products.

The Government recognises the importance of women and girls being able to access the care they need for their reproductive health, including period products.

Since 2019 it has been a requirement in the NHS Standard Contract that the National Health Service must offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them.

Paragraph 17.7 places an obligation on providers to ensure that supplies of appropriate sanitary products are available and are, on request, provided promptly to inpatient service users free of charge. It is for individual providers to decide what products to provide and how best to meet their obligations.