Director of Public Health Annual Report 2011 - NHS North Somerset

Director of Public Health Annual Report 2011
assault victims tell no one about their
experience 20 . In serious sexual assaults in
women aged over 16, 54% were assaulted
by a current or ex-partner with 36% of cases
involving alcohol and 9% drugs.
What are we doing about it?
Victims are much more likely to take positive
steps to recovery when given appropriate
support. Sexual Assault Referral Centres
(SARCs) were established to promote recovery
and health following a rape or sexual assault,
whether or not victims wish to report to the
police. A Sexual Assault Referral Centre
provides specialist clinical care to victims,
forensic examination, counselling (up to ten
sessions), and support through the criminal
justice system.
In North Somerset the local Sexual Assault
Referral Centre is provided by The Bridge
based in central Bristol. In 2010/11, it
supported 40 clients from North Somerset,
30 of whom received forensic medical
examinations and counselling. The number
of clients seen in the Sexual Assault Referral
Centre is well below the number of reported
sexual offences. Efforts are being made to
reach more women with a marketing
campaign run by The Bridge with GP practices
in North Somerset. In addition, an outreach
service has been established to provide
counselling sessions in Nailsea since June
2011. The outreach counsellor sees five clients
per week. However, due to the high level of
under-reporting there could be as many as
ten times this number of people needing
support in North Somerset.
The Home Office and Department of Health
have made it a priority to increase specialist
service provision. Their proposed objective is
to ensure that every victim of serious sexual
assault in England (and Wales) should have
access to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre as
part of a co-ordinated community response.
Avon and Somerset Police run awareness
campaigns to prevent sexual assaults and rape
across the area.
Planning for the Future
The Government’s White Paper on public
health, ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People’,
published in 2010, highlights sexual health
as a priority area 21 . The paper describes the
Government’s vision of an integrated model
of sexual health service delivery, with services
being confidential and non-judgmental.
North Somerset is developing a sexual health
strategy that mirrors this vision.
Historically, local sexual health services such
as contraception, sexually transmitted
infections, abortions and health promotion
have been provided in different places. An
integrated service means that these different
services are provided in one place, with
referrals made only for specialist care. This
makes it easier for patients to access services,
is more cost effective and improves overall
sexual health outcomes.
20
Kevin Smith (Ed.), Kathryn Coleman, Simon Eder and Philip Hall: Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate
Violence 2009/10 Supplementary Volume 2 to Crime in England and Wales 2009/10, Home Office, January 2011.
21 Department of Health. Healthy Lives Healthy People White Paper. Our Strategy for public health in England.
November 2010.
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