Asking Women!
Summary of a report from a consultation with women
about their experiences of local health services in Leeds
January 2009
About Womens Health Matters
Womens Health Matters (WHM) is an independent voluntary sector
organisation and a registered charity, run by women for women in Leeds.
Established in 1987, the organisation prioritises work with women in
disadvantaged areas of the city and women who face additional
disadvantage because of race, disability, class or sexual orientation. We
believe that health is affected by many things and that emotional
wellbeing, social issues and physical health are equally important.
What was the consultation about?
NHS Leeds sought the views of a range of equality groups across Leeds in
order to inform and develop their Single Equality Scheme. As part of this
consultation exercise, WHM asked women across the city about their
experiences of local health services.
How many women?
 28 women took part in group discussions
 43 women completed questionnaires
 48 women returned equal opportunities monitoring forms
Who took part?
We consulted with as wide a range of women as was possible within the given
timescale. Those who took part included young women in schools, disabled
women, women from BME communities, women experiencing domestic
violence, women from mum’s groups and women volunteers. The age range
was from under 16 to over 65.
How was the consultation carried out?
The consultation was completed using a range of methods in order to reach
as many women as possible, including questionnaires, focus groups and
individual interviews.
What women told us
 Experiences of local health services
The majority of women had recently used GP services. A wide range of
other services were also identified, reflecting the range available, including
hospitals, opticians, dentists, clinics, chiropody, occupational therapy,
health visitors, pharmacies, midwives and community groups. Positive
experiences of these services were strongly linked to clear communication
from health practitioners, with proper explanations and good listening skills
being highly valued. Negative experiences related to delays and long
waiting times, dismissive or patronising attitudes from staff and a lack of
access to female health staff within services. Women highlighted several
areas for improvement, including the need for specific training around the
needs of disabled women, the need for privacy and confidentiality and a
need for cultural understanding and respectful and non-judgemental
attitudes. Several barriers to access were identified, including a need for
language support and interpreters, difficulty in getting convenient
appointments, transport issues and the accessibility of some buildings and
services. An increase in women-centred services was also seen as being
important; many women felt vulnerable in mixed gender environments.
 Communication and information
Women found out about services in a wide range of different ways, such as
leaflets, flyers and posters, signposting and referrals from other agencies,
NHS Direct, clinics, the internet and directories. Difficulties in finding
information were experienced by many women, in particular those who did
not speak English as a first language, women with visual impairment or
those for whom literacy was an issue. There was also confusion around
terminology, in particular in knowing where to look in directories and
telephone books. The most positive sources of information were identified
as leaflets and personal contact with practitioners, in particular at women’s
groups and community organisations where there was the opportunity to
ask questions. The majority of women were unsure about how to make a
complaint or comment about health services or simply did not know how to
go about it. Women also identified several ways to improve information
about services, including advertising more widely, providing different
formats such as tapes, large print and pictures and using local information
points, such as supermarkets.
 Involvement and consultation
The majority of women who took part had never been consulted before or
asked for their views on health services. The main barriers to consultation
were given as a lack of women’s groups, embarrassment around discussing
medical conditions and feeling ignored or patronised by health service staff
when making comments or giving opinions. Suggestions for improving
involvement included having regular consultations in local venues such as
libraries, community buildings and women’s groups, making female staff
available and respecting the need for privacy and confidentiality. Lack of
feedback from consultations was highlighted as a negative by many women.
 National Health Service employment
Only one woman had ever been employed within the NHS. The reasons given
for not considering employment in the NHS included attitudes to disability
encountered when using services, difficulties in shift work for women with
children or caring responsibilities and a perception of poor working conditions
and pay. Changes which might encourage women to apply for jobs in the NHS
included better pay and prospects and having access to information sessions
on the range of work available, as well as an increase in childcare facilities
and a positive attitude to equality.
 General comments
Women raised the following additional points during the consultation process:
 There should be more choice about treatment and better options
 More female staff are needed
 Explanations need to be clear and terminology fully explained
 Lack of privacy is an important issue for women
 Patronising attitudes from staff are often encountered, highlighting a
training need for health staff
 Waiting times and delays are commonplace
 More women’s groups and women-centred services are needed
A copy of the full report can be obtained from
Womens Health Matters
www.womenshealthmatters.org.uk
or contact us on 0113 276 2851
or e-mail admin@womenshealthmatters.org.uk
for more information on the NHS equality scheme contact
0113 305 7448 or e-mail equalities@nhsleeds.nhs.uk