New report shows impact of sexual trauma on attending NHS screenings and other appointments
Often when survivors of sexual assault visit a medical professional, memories can surface due to the type of examination and the lack of control the person might feel. This can be so difficult that many actively avoid seeking medical attention, putting their health at risk.
We recently surveyed or interviewed 67 people about how their experience of sexual trauma affected them when they needed medical care.
Key Findings
Our research shows that experiences of sexual trauma can significantly impact people’s decisions about whether to attend cancer screenings and other health screenings and appointments.
Where people do decide to attend screenings/appointments, the attitude of staff, the level of trauma-informed training received by staff, and the information made available to patients – including the ways/formats in which information is made available – can make a significant difference to patients’ experience. At worst, it can, in some cases, re-traumatise people and make them less likely to attend in future. At best, it can potentially save lives.
Our report focuses on people’s experiences and their thoughts about what may help to make health screenings and intimate examinations feel safer and less traumatic.
This report sets out findings including:
- Feelings of anxiety are experienced by many survivors of sexual trauma before, during and after intimate health screenings and appointments.
- Many patients felt unable to take their time and have control over the pace of their appointment.
- Patients are not routinely offered adjustments or support.
- Many patients did not have confidence in asking for adjustments or support if they are not offered them.
- There are actions that healthcare practitioners could take to improve the experience of patients who are survivors of sexual trauma.
Key Recommendations
Based on the report’s findings, we set out the following recommendations for decision makers, including primary and secondary health care providers, and integrated care systems (ICS):
- NHS Screening staff to work with diverse patients to co-produce invitation letters.
- GP practices to proactively call patients who don’t respond to screening invitations, with an offer to answer their questions, and book them an appointment, with support to reschedule if required.
- Allow patients with digital access to book or re-schedule screenings (for instance if they are having a period) online or via an app. Include a range of language options and a BSL video option.
- NHS commissioners to consider providing alternative screening provision to allow
patients a choice about whether to go to their GP practice or elsewhere. - If the current national work on self-screening for cervical cancer proves it to be an effective method, seek to roll this out locally as quickly as possible to allow those who would prefer to self-administer the test to have this choice.
- Health passports and #CheckWithMeFirst cards to be available at GP practices, Walk-In Centres and hospital waiting rooms, accompanied by training for staff about their purpose
and use. - Encourage NHS staff to undertake existing NHS Learning Hub training on trauma informed care, e.g. ‘Trauma-Informed Approaches to Healthcare’ and to consider ways in which their patient care and clinical environments can be made more welcoming and safer for patients who have experienced sexual trauma.
Our full list of recommendations can be found on page 37 of the report.
We look forward to working with partners from across the health sector – including commissioners, providers and voluntary/community sector partners - to make these happen.
"The Survivors Trust is delighted to support Healthwatch Liverpool in publishing this crucial report, enabling a deeper understanding of the impact on survivors of sexual violence attending health appointments and the barriers this trauma presents. Through our programme #checkwithmefirst, we have solid research to demonstrate that the simple act of frontline staff attending a half-day workshop and raising awareness of how previous sexual trauma presents in healthcare appointments can dramatically reduce 'do not attend' rates, as well as improve staff well-being and retention. We hope to see this report used by other trusts throughout the country as a tool to help, not add to, existing workloads."
As part of our aim to make sure that survivors are more empowered to request adjustments and feel more comfortable to access services we have produced a Frequently Asked Questions guide about accessing healthcare appointments as a survivor of sexual trauma.
