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Our letter to Wes Streeting, Secretary of State

Read our letter to the new Secretary of State highlighting key policy challenges affecting women with pelvic girdle pain.

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Our letter to Wes Streeting, Secretary of State

We have written to the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP, to welcome him to his new role. We also stressed how important the challenges are facing women and birthing people with pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP). 

In writing this letter, we asked members of our support group to share their thoughts and we had some great feedback – thank you. We included your thoughts and comments in our letter and shared direct quotes to underline the impact of these policy challenges on women’s lives. 

I feel it would be really helpful if midwives spoke to you in your booking appointment about PGP symptoms, preventative/reductive actions (e.g. how to get in and out of bed, not opening legs wide), to take the pain seriously to avoid deterioration, and when and where to seek help. I really don't think my PGP would have got so bad as it did if I hadn't have thought it was just general pregnancy pain and I should push through it.
Service user
I also strongly feel that appropriate treatment should be on the NHS. It's not reasonable that we should all have to seek help at a huge cost to use when any other condition would be treated properly via the NHS. The overwhelming feeling I have is being let down in my hour of need.
Service user

In our letter we identified these main challenges. 

  1. Limited knowledge and understanding of PGP among healthcare practitioners, resulting in women not getting the right care, support and treatment as soon as their PGP symptoms being
  2. Insufficient treatment options available on the NHS so fewer women can access the right hands-on treatment, including manual therapy, from NHS physiotherapists so women are having to choose private options in a cost of living crisis
  3. Perinatal mental health support to acknowledge the mental health impacts of PGP, given the high number of women with PGP who may also experience associated mental health issues

 

You can download the full letter here: Pelvic Partnership letter to Secretary of State 2024

 

To get greater attention for this issue, you can forward this letter to your local MP. 

Find your local MP and their email address here. 

 

 

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