FSRH consultation response: investment in the SRH workforce is vital as services are restored
Date: 04 Sep 2020
Type: FSRH Consultation Responses
We respond to an inquiry on workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and Social Care by the Health and Social Care Committee.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on the Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (SRH) workforce in the community and primary care. Drawing from our members survey findings, we show that the redeployment of staff from already understaffed SRH services has resulted in service closures, and clinicians are concerned that patients will no longer be able to access the care that they need.
We argue that funding and commissioning challenges have led to an overstretched SRH service that was not sustainably supported to provide care to women and girls either before or during a pandemic.