Breaking Down The Barriers: The Need For Accountability

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• Letter from Baroness Gould
• Breaking down the barriers: The need for accountability and integration in sexual health, reproductive health and HIV services in England [Executive Summary]
• Breaking down the Barriers Report [Full Report]

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UK (APPGSRH) is a cross party group of peers and MPs, which was established to facilitate discussions between parliamentarians and stakeholders on sexual and reproductive health issues.

The group has a history of supporting and initiating broader parliamentary activity around sexual health, reproductive health and HIV, and facilitating visits for policymakers to see services in action in order to broaden their understanding of best practice in sexual health.

The APPGSRH launched an inquiry in August 2014 to consider what the accountability framework should look like for sexual health, reproductive health and HIV services in England, and to make recommendations about how these structures can be improved in this vital area of public health.

The inquiry was chaired by Baroness Gould of Potternewton, Chair of the APPG on Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UK, and supported by an expert panel consisting of:

• Dr Jan Clarke – President, British Association for Sexual Health and HIV
• Dr Kathy French – Independent Nurse Adviser
• Alison Hadley OBE – Director, Teenage Pregnancy Knowledge Exchange, University of Bedfordshire
• Jane Hatfield – Chief Executive, Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare
• Ruth Lowbury – Chief Executive, MEDFASH (Medical Foundation for HIV & Sexual Health)
• Sir Nick Partridge – Vice Chair, Sexual Health Forum
• Lord Rea – Member, APPG on Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UK
• Baroness Tonge – Vice Chair, APPG on Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UK
• Chris Wilkinson – President, Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare

The APPG issued a call for written evidence from individuals and organisations involved in sexual health, reproductive health and HIV services. This included policymakers, providers, commissioners and service users. 35 submissions of written evidence were received.

In addition to written evidence, the panel is very grateful to the witnesses who provided oral evidence during the four evidence sessions.