Womens Health Business Case Report

Services Sought when Referring Clients to Womens’s Health Centres

Counselling

81%

Domestic and Family Violence or Sexual Assault Support

59%

Therapeutic Groups - eg. Mental Health, Trauma Recovery

54%

Clinical - Women’s Health Issues Screening or Consultation

42%

Care Coordination/Holistic Support - Assistance with Other Complex Needs

41%

Physical Activity &/or Social Inclusion Groups

40%

Health Information and Referral

39%

Health Education Groups - eg. Nutrition

37%

Complementary Therapies - eg. Massage Therapy, Naturopathy

36%

Clinical - Sexual &/or Reproductive Health Screening or Consultation

30%

Other

11%

0% 10%

% of Referrers Requesting this Service Type (n=77) 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Fig 5 – Services Sought by Referrers when Referring Clients to Women’s Health Centres (Source – Women’s Health Centre Referrer Survey, 2022)

Women’s Health Centre Clients 2020-21 Age Distribution

2.4.1.1 A Client Group with Complex Health Needs The network of 20 Women’s Health Centres across NSW provide direct support to address the health needs of over 50,000 women of all ages each year, the majority of whom are from socio-economically disadvantaged and/or from priority health populations. Primary referral pathways include LHD services and GPs, NSW Police, schools, and other funded non-government organisations providing family, crisis support, legal, cultural, and employment services. Women may also self-refer. As services are provided free of charge, priority access is given to women on low incomes and those experiencing significant disadvantage; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women; women from CALD Backgrounds, women experiencing domestic & family violence and/or sexual assault; and women with disabilities. Women from low- income and other priority backgrounds make up the majority of Women’s Health Centre clients. Of the 90 respondents to the Women’s Health Centre referrer survey, 73% indicated that the women they refer would be unable to pay a private provider for the services that they require. Women present to Women’s Health Centres with a wide range of mental and physical health needs - most with multi-morbidities, which have been shown to significantly increase the likelihood of hospital admissions for women in all age groups 29 . These immediate health needs are often combined with critical and acute personal and family circumstances associated with complex trauma and poor health status eg. domestic and family violence, sexual assault, addiction, financial and legal issues, and homelessness.

0 -15

1.5%

16-19

4.9%

20-24

7.6%

25-29

9.9%

30-34

10.0%

35-39

9.5%

40-44

9.0%

45-49

9.0%

50-54

8.0%

55-59 Age Range

6.5%

60-64

6.2%

65-69

4.6%

70-74

3.2%

75-79

1.7%

80-84

0.7%

85+

0.3%

N/A

7.5%

0% 1%

2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10% 11%

Percentage

Fig 6 – Women’s Health Centre Clients 2020-21 Age Distribution

22

Sustainable Investment in the NSWNGOWomen’s Health Program