Agenda item

To consider the report which summarises the findings and recommendations of the Health Select Commission review into access to contraception.

At the Chair’s invitation the Chair of the Health Select Commission, Councillor Keenan, reported that her first role in health had been in sexual health and that she had long championed good sexual health. She presented the Health Select Commission’s Scrutiny Review report on Access To Contraception.

The review had been prioritised due to concerns about inconsistent availability of long?acting reversible contraception in GP practices, alongside wider issues around access to contraceptive advice and sexual health services.

Throughout 2025, a cross?party working group gathered evidence from GP surgeries, Public Health, Adult Strategic Commissioning, Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, the Integrated Care Board, HealthWatch, MESMAC and others. The group carried out a site visit, undertook online research, analysed local data and reviewed practice in neighbouring areas and elsewhere in the UK.

The Chair thanked officers, particularly Kerry Grinsill?Clinton, and members for their active contribution. The review recognised that improving access to contraception required more than service availability; it was fundamental to informed choice, improved sexual health outcomes, reduced unplanned pregnancies and equitable, stigma?free access for residents of all ages.

Findings indicated that, although provision was generally strong, significant barriers remained, including variation in GP cover, limited male contraception options, stigma, difficulties accessing the hospital?based clinic, a fragmented digital offer and the impact of online misinformation. These issues affected residents’ ability to make informed choices and reflected wider trends such as rising termination rates and inequalities in sexual health outcomes.

The Commission proposed targeted recommendations, including exploring mobile outreach clinics, integrating contraception within the town centre health hub, improving digital information, strengthening public health messaging and enhancing support for young people through clearer confidentiality guidance and more consistent education. Longer?term ambitions included stronger collaboration across primary care networks, appointing sexual health champions in every GP practice, expanding free condom access in community settings and improving data use for commissioning and prevention.

The Health Select Commission endorsed the report on 22 January 2026 and invited OSMB to support its submission to Cabinet for consideration and response. The Chair thanked all contributors and noted that the officer, Kerry Grinsill-Clinton, was available to answer questions.

The Governance Advisor, Kerry Grinsill-Clinton, seconded Councillor Keenan’s remarks and to offered sincere thanks for the significant engagement and participation from internal and external partners in supporting the review.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, Councillor Baker-Rogers, thanked Councillor Keenan for the work undertaken and confirmed her support for the report’s progression to Cabinet for consideration. She added that she looked forward to supporting the work further once the outcome was known.

Councillor Cuworth, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, placed on record her thanks to Councillor Keenan, the Commission and the working group for what she described as an excellent piece of scrutiny. She noted the importance of the work and expressed her appreciation for the effort that had gone into the review.

The Chair, Councillor Steele, noted that the report had reached this stage as part of the normal scrutiny review process. It would now be forwarded to Cabinet, which would have eight weeks to provide a response. Members approved the report by a show of hands.

The Chair thanked Councillor Keenan and the Working Group for their work on behalf of the Authority, noting the number of recommendations and acknowledging the substantial effort behind the review.

Resolved:

1. That the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board (OSMB) note the report.

2. That the recommendations listed below and the wider ambitions as listed in Paragraph 5 of the report, as approved by Health Select Commission, be submitted to Cabinet for consideration and response:

                                               i.     That the relevant Council Services consider and review the feasibility of mobile outreach clinics or rotating sexual health outreach services where contraception, including LARC can be accessed in rural and underserved areas.

                                              ii.     That the relevant Council Services and relevant partners consider Including sexual health services, specifically including contraceptive advice guidance and provision, in the new town centre health hub, ensuring flexible, reliable and discreet ‘drop-in’ access and reduced stigma.

                                               i.     That the relevant Council Services work in collaboration with appropriate partners to strengthen and extend the reach of a borough-wide, sex-positive public health campaign promoting safe, consensual, and informed sexual activity that makes effective use of the contraceptive and sexual health services available in Rotherham. The Commission particularly advocates the use of modern messaging strategies that harness the power of local ‘influencers’ via social media platforms (e.g. TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram) wherever possible to reach younger demographics with engaging, accurate contraception and sexual health messaging that reaches them directly in places they naturally frequent and counteracts disinformation.

                                              ii.     That the relevant Council Services encourage schools to deliver consistent, comprehensive PSHE, including ongoing practical contraceptive education and awareness of confidentiality rights and works with them to improve parental engagement and understanding of the benefits of making informed contraceptive and sexual health choices.

                                               i.     That the relevant Council Services work to improve Council public health websites to deliver youth-friendly information on contraception and sexual health services and providing/signposting to relevant sources of information, advice and guidance aimed at assisting that demographic to make informed choices.

                                              ii.     That the relevant Council Services work to develop a centralised digital resource or landing page consolidating sexual health information, service locations, and confidentiality guidance, with links to age group/demographic specific issues and information.

                                               i.     That the relevant Council Services consider how, ideally in collaboration with relevant partners such as schools and NHS services, to raise awareness of Fraser guidelines and NHS app privacy settings to reassure young people about confidentiality when accessing contraception.

                                              ii.     That the relevant Council Services work with MESMAC and other relevant youth services to expand outreach and ensure visibility and borough wide accessibility of services, particularly for LGBTQ+ and vulnerable groups.

                                               i.     That the relevant Council Services include the location of sexual health clinics, drop-in centres, and pharmacies providing emergency contraception on the Rotherham mapping system (where grit salt bin locations, planning applications etc. can be found), or create a standalone map resource to allow Rotherham residents to easily identify all locations in the borough where they can access contraception.

                                              ii.     That relevant Council Services review local data on terminations and teenage pregnancies to assess emerging trends, identify the root causes and facilitate the formulation and implementation targeted interventions that address their drivers.

                                            iii.     That relevant Council Services ensure that the recommendations, observations and broad ambitions from this review are considered in the next commissioning cycle in 2027, and in the development/revision of the borough’s sexual health strategy and action plan.

3. Following submission to Cabinet, that those recommendations within the control and influence of external bodies, are shared with relevant health partners and commissioners for consideration and response.