New community sessions helping to teach women about pelvic health

Women across Swansea Bay are taking part in free community-based sessions teaching them about pelvic health.

They have been able to book themselves on to the sessions which have so far been held in Penlan Leisure Centre, and the community rooms in Baglan’s Morrisons and Tesco Llansamlet and Fforestfach.

The sessions, open to those aged 16 and over, have been introduced following the launch of Welsh Government’s Women’s Health Plan, which sets out a 10-year vision to improve healthcare services for women.

Pictured: Health board staff met with Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Sarah Murphy.

It details the creation of women’s health hubs in each health board across Wales, which will improve women’s access to and experience of care for a range of common conditions.

Delivered by the health board’s pelvic health physiotherapy team, the sessions cover information on bladder symptoms, such as leaking when laughing, jumping or exercising, or bladder overactivity.

They also provide information on other issues including faecal incontinence, prolapse symptoms, pain with intercourse and more.

Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy, visited Penlan Leisure Centre to hear first-hand about the educational sessions, as well as other work being undertaken in Swansea Bay as part of the Women’s Health Hub.

She said: “Women’s health hubs are all about access. The hubs will improve health outcomes for women and bring care closer to home.

“The virtual hub being developed by Swansea Bay University Health Board will offer women access to their records and to clinicians as well as signposting them to available services and information.

“It was fantastic to see women being empowered to take control of their health in the physio session I visited, which is a new service being delivered in the community as part of the hub.”

Jemima Sanders, a physiotherapist delivering the sessions, said: “Our aim is to shift the focus of pelvic health physiotherapy into a primary care setting, making support more accessible for women across Swansea Bay.

“The sessions are designed to empower women with education and advice throughout every stage of life, helping them to understand, manage, and prevent potential pelvic health issues.“

We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback. A number of women have been able to avoid GP appointments because of the advice provided, which demonstrates the value of early education and proactive support.

“They also found the sessions highly informative and appreciated the relaxed, accessible setting outside of a hospital environment.”

In addition to the educational sessions, the Minister was informed about primary care staff receiving training on a variety of women’s health topics.

The health board’s Primary and Community Care Academy has organised a number of sessions, many of which have been led and supported by hospital-based obstetricians and gynaecologists.

They have focused on a variety of women’s health topics, including menopause management and contraceptives.

Rachel Brace, health board Primary and Community Care Academy clinical lead, said: “The aim is to have skilled workforce across each cluster within our health board.

“This training will not only upskill our staff, but benefit their patients too.”

The hub is an umbrella term which describes a holistic approach to the delivery of women’s healthcare, allowing health boards to focus on meeting local needs.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to hubs in Wales, while some will be traditional face-to-face services, others may be accessed virtually.

Some will be delivered in the community, and others by nurses and other clinicians in a hospital setting.

Jordanna Roberts, the health board’s Deputy Head of Physiotherapy, said: “We have been engaging with people in the community to understand the type of support they wanted.

“By redesigning our pathway and placing resource in the community we have managed to reduce our waiting list from 12 weeks to three.

“We want to remove the taboo and empower women to engage with and access this support.”

Swansea Bay’s Chief Operating Officer, Deb Lewis, said: “Instead of having one fixed space, we are looking at lots of different ways and spaces for women to access this support.

“We are confident that what we have put in place will benefit women in our area in a sustainable way.”