Free women's health clinic consultations in Shrewsbury
A Shropshire women’s health clinic is to offer a number of free GP consultations to give women in the county access to a female GP.
Summerfield Healthcare will hold three women’s health clinics at its Shrewsbury site in November and December and a limited number of free 15-minute consultations will be available at each of them.
Paul Hatton, CQC registered manager at Summerfield healthcare and a registered nurse, said many women will simply not visit their surgery if they cannot see a female GP.
He said: “This can lead to medical issues going undiscovered and result in late diagnosis, which can have a huge impact on health and lives.
"In 2020 there will have already been delays in people seeing their GP so if women are worried it is important to raise those concerns with a qualified practitioner.
“In December last year, the British Medical Journal published a Times investigation revealing that more than one million women in England did not have access to a regular female GP.
"The patients included tens of thousands of elderly women who often prefer to see a female doctor.
“The report said that practices could book female locums to see them for one-off appointments but that they were expensive and patients said they had faced hostility from staff when they requested this or complained.”
Summerfield Healthcare launched women’s clinics at their sites in Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton, bringing in female GPs with further qualifications.
“Dr Serena Salamat has gained her diploma in sexual and reproductive healthcare (DFSRH), a diploma with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (DRCOG) and competencies in fitting and removing implants and various coils,” added Mr Hatton.
“We feel it is important that these clinics are accessible to all so we are offering a number of free sessions in 2020 to allow women who may be worried or would like a chat about a specific problem to come and see Serena.
“If there is cause for concern they can then be referred for treatment or visit their own GP armed with the necessary information.”
To book one of the free of charge consultations on November 17, December 1 or December 15, between 10am and 1pm, women should contact Summerfield Healthcare on 0333 9000 010.
