A new service developed by local GPs and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council will give women in Solihull better access to long-acting contraception methods. This is the first step in a longer-term programme to improve women’s healthcare in Solihull as part of wider national plans to develop Women’s Health Hubs. 

Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs), which include coils and hormonal implants, are very effective birth control methods. They can allow women to manage their contraception more easily, for years at a time.

Currently, the majority of LARC services are provided by local GP practices.  The service can vary as it is dependent on the GP practice having the appropriately trained healthcare professionals, this means some patients have to travel further.

Solihull Council’s Public Health team worked closely with primary care providers in the borough to update the way these services are delivered and have created a new additional local service for patients registered at Solihull GP practices.

This new service will ensure women can access LARC services more easily and conveniently across Solihull.

GPs will now be able to either offer LARC service at their practice or refer patients to a local hub run by Solihealth, which is a collaboration between the five Primary Care Networks that make up the Solihull Locality.

All contraceptive services are free of charge, and GP practices will be able to provide further advice and guidance to patients.

Councillor Karen Grinsell, Solihull Council’s Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Wellbeing, Skills & Inclusion, said:

“Giving women easy access to a range of contraception services is essential. This new service will allow women all over the borough to choose a long-acting contraceptive and get the same high-quality care.

“Many women choose these methods as they are a reliable, safe and fuss-free method of birth control, so it's great our Public Health Team and NHS colleagues have been able make getting these types of contraceptives easier.

“We have a long-term vision to improve women’s health and well-being including improving support for menopause and better integrating services into local hubs. Our new LARC service is the first step on the road.

“As part of our joint working with Birmingham and Solihull ICB, we are increasingly developing joint local solutions across the public sector, collaborating at local level to improve health and care for the residents of Solihull”

Dr Tara Shah, from Solihealth and Solihull Locality Clinical Lead - BSol ICB, said: 

“This new model of working at scale but in partnership with our local GP surgeries will ensure that access to contraception is equal for women in Solihull, independent of where they live or which GP they are registered with.

“This is a fantastic step towards addressing this health inequality that links directly with rates of terminations and underage pregnancies. The Solihealth Women's Care Centre will be accessible via referrals from GP practices - we hope to build in other services in addition to contraception provision in the near future.

“We also hope that this extra service will help reduce the conception rate amongst our under 18s and therefore see fewer abortions as well, which have both increased over the past few years.”

Paul Sherriff, Chief Officer for Partnerships and Integration at the NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board, said:

“It is great to see LARC services in Solihull expanding to provide enhanced patient choice, across the borough. This is a good example of a solution which fulfils a key objective for the NHS in Birmingham and Solihull - driving local collaboration which supports services to provide care in more sustainable and effective ways.

“I would like to thank Solihealth and Solihull Council for all of their work on this improved service. I look forward to seeing it up and running, and to work on further service improvements like this across Solihull.”