A brand new health hub which will specialise in taking care of women's health issues opened in the North East on International Women's Day.

The new hub, which will offer services including expert menopause advice, long-acting contraception fitting, health checks and cervical screening is based at Hylton Medical Group in Pallion, Sunderland.

It opened on Friday (March 8) to mark International Women's Day.

Funded by a £250,000 investment from the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), the hub is expected to expand over the coming year and offer specialised gynaecology clinics too.

The Northern Echo: Dr Ruth Thompson advising a patient about menopause and HRT.Dr Ruth Thompson advising a patient about menopause and HRT. (Image: ICB)

Samantha Allen, the ICB’s chief executive, said: “This new service will make a huge difference to women’s lives in Sunderland, offering a more holistic approach tailored to women’s needs, reducing the need for multiple appointments at different locations and times, saving time and money and making it easier to access multiple services at the same time.

“Women tend to live longer than men, but overall women tend to live a greater proportion of their lives in ill health or disability. Not enough focus has been placed on women's health, but if we get health services right for women, we get it right for families. There is also an economic reason to do this, as the evidence shows that for every £1 spent on women's health, £5 is saved.

“International Women’s Day is a time to consider the many barriers that women still face in their daily lives. That makes it an ideal moment to open our region’s first women’s health hub.”

The service will also include an extended access clinic at Washington Primary Care Centre, which will offer coil fitting before expanding to include cervical smears and mental health support over the coming months.

Those wanting to book into the clinic need only ask, and they don't have to see a GP first.

For Dr Ruth Thompson, a GP at Broadway Medical Practice and one of the hub’s clinical leads, this service is set to change the healthcare of women in the region.

She said: “Women have distinctive health needs, from menstrual problems and menopause to higher rates of osteoporosis and incontinence. Many of these are a predictable part of life, so we are determined to listen to women's voices and improve the care we provide.

The Northern Echo: ICB chief executive Samantha Allen with Dr Fadi Khalil, one of the GPs who helped design and plan the hub.ICB chief executive Samantha Allen with Dr Fadi Khalil, one of the GPs who helped design and plan the hub. (Image: ICB)

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“We know that women in deprived communities are less likely to come forward for cervical screening or ask for HRT [Hormone Replacement Therapy], and often they live in areas where it’s hard to access contraception services or coils for heavy periods and menopause. This is the first step in providing a better service – and reaching out to women who find it harder to use services.”

The new hub follows the announcement last year by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) of £25 million as part of the Women's Health Strategy for England.

This funding aims to bring healthcare professionals and services together to provide integrated women’s healthcare in communities, with a focus on reducing inequalities in health.