General practice staff in England are to be offered training to help them better identify and respond to domestic abuse and sexual violence, as part of a new NHS-wide initiative.
The offer of training was part of yesterday’s government announcement that set out plans for new ‘dedicated referral services’ for women and children affected by domestic abuse in every area of England by 2029.
Under the Steps to Safety initiative, patients will be referred to specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence services through their GP practice. Training will be offered to GP practice staff in all regions to support this work.
The government said healthcare professionals already encounter many survivors through routine appointments. As part of the initiative, a specialist support worker will be made available across groups of general practices to support staff and help ensure victims and survivors are connected with local specialist services.
The announcement forms part of a wider package of measures to transform how the NHS responds to violence against women and girls and child sexual abuse. These proposals sit within the government’s Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, due to be launched later this week.
The strategy will also set out measures to tackle child sexual abuse, including widening access to specialist, trauma-informed care.
Backed by £50m, the multi-agency Child House model – which supports children and young people following child sexual abuse – will be expanded to all NHS regions in England. Services include therapeutic support, advocacy and ongoing care that continues long after the initial intervention.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: ‘As a service that often has first eyes on abuse victims, the NHS plays a vital role in supporting and treating victims.
‘These changes will put victims first, making sure they have specialist care and reliable support when they need it most.’
Government figures showed that in the last year alone, one in eight women was a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking.
On 10 December, the first national awareness day highlighting domestic abuse among the NHS workforce was launched. It followed research showing that healthcare professionals are three times more likely to experience domestic abuse than the general UK population.
Minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, Jess Phillips, said: ‘For too long, these crimes have been considered a fact of life. That’s not good enough. This government has declared violence against women and girls a national emergency.’
