Money For Contraception Services Not Reaching Frontline, As Teen Pregnancies Remain High

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 11 Sep 2009 - 8:00 PDT

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A 2009 snapshot survey of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) by Brook, fpa and Terrence Higgins Trust shows that additional investment in contraception services is not always reaching the frontline, despite rates of teenage pregnancies remaining high in particular areas across England.

The under-18 conception rate increased from 40.9 conceptions per 1,000 women aged 15-17 in 2006 to 41.9 in 2007. In 2008, the Department of Health announced an extra £26.8 million investment in contraception services. The charity coalition undertook a spending review between March and May 2009 to get an indication of how the extra money was being spent.

30 PCTs were contacted and 20 responded to the review. Of those, almost half either received none or only some of the additional funding for frontline services. Those who received no funding mentioned that their PCT was either "overspent" or "in deficit".

Paul Ward, Deputy Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust said "This could be the tip of the iceberg. With vital funding going astray, frontline services are missing out."

Simon Blake, Brook's National Director, said: "It is essential that funding finds its way to local areas where the need is greatest and this is simply not happening consistently. In order to ensure the national strategy is delivered locally, PCTs must ensure that funding is used as it was intended now to prevent greater costs in the longer term."

Julie Bentley, Chief Executive, fpa said: Contraception services are an essential, not a luxury. It's a tragedy that new money may not have got to them."

Most of the commissioners who received additional funding directed it into the areas outlined by the Department of Health, either improving young people's services or increasing access to long acting reversible contraception (LARC). Expansion of LARC provision was undertaken through enhanced nurse training and enhanced GP services. Where the funding didn't reach frontline services commissioners reported frustration that it hadn't been ringfenced and around the relative priority of contraception and sexual health within the PCT.

Commissioners reported:

"If it's not ringfenced, that will always happen…levels of funding in sexual health and contraception are so low in comparison to other health areas that they often get ignored."

"It would be much easier if the money came to us ringfenced so we were clear on what we should be spending it on."

Brook, fpa and Terrence Higgins Trust are calling for any future sexual health funding to be clearly demarcated and for commissioners to be given the time and support to spend it in the most effective way.

Notes

- Brook aims to help young people to make informed, active choices about their personal and sexual relationships so they can enjoy their sexuality without harm. Brook is the UK's leading provider of sexual health services and advice for all young people under 25 and provides free and confidential sexual health information, contraception, pregnancy testing, advice and counselling, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and outreach and education work, reaching around 210,000 young people every year. Brook has 45 years of experience working with young people and currently has a network of services in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Jersey.

- fpa is one of the UK's leading sexual health charities. Our mission is to help establish a society in which everyone has positive, informed and non-judgmental attitudes to sex and relationships; where everyone can make informed choice about sex and reproduction so that they can enjoy sexual health free from prejudice and harm. We provide a range of information, education and support services and run public awareness and high profile media campaigns on all aspects of sexual health

Source
Terrence Higgins Trust

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