Conclusion
without access to services which can inform, empower, and provide them with the reproductive freedom they need to live their life to the fullest when they need it most. However, the improvements needed require support, guidance, and commitment at a national level. The Government now has an opportunity to ensure that PPC provision is not simply a postcode lottery, dependent on local goodwill and the sheer determination of individuals but is embedded in all local health systems. We know that post-pregnancy contraception offers financial savings with returns of around £32 per £1 invested. 52 For providers and women alike, it is common sense to improve PPC provision and eliminate the PPC deserts that currently exist, to improve women’s reproductive autonomy, reduce unplanned pregnancies, and facilitate efficient service delivery in local communities. We have developed recommendations aimed at Government, the NHS, ICBs and other policymakers to ensure that women wherever they are can receive this essential service, considered a lifeline by so many.
The provision of PPC has been an overlooked area of policy nationally – reflecting the historic neglect of women’s health by successive generations of policymakers. This Government has promised to bring this to an end and prioritise women as they reform and rebuild the NHS. The 10 Year Health Plan reiterated this commitment and recognised the particular difficulty women have faced with the NHS fragmentation in the past, leaving essential care siloed, disjointed and unnavigable for patients. Some areas across the UK are offering and delivering invaluable PPC services to women; despite the lack of clarity, transparency or accountability in the system, and the absence of robust national direction. However, these services face significant barriers to maintaining sustainable funding and resources in a climate of financial reductions, cuts and closures. In producing this influencing report, providers have expressed how their service may be at risk of closure without support and investment. This would leave women without an essential, efficient, and important service. PPC provision is too often seen as a luxury, and in reality, its provision is more likely non-existent. Too many women are
Women’s voices have been clear in their support for PPC and the crucial care it provides to them.
52 Public Health England. PHE Women’s Reproductive Health Programme 2020 to 2021.
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