More local women will have access to free and comprehensive care and support under the one roof, with a women’s health clinic opening in June.
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas has advised that the first comprehensive women’s health clinic will open at the Northern Hospital.
The clinic will remove the barriers women face when trying to access specialist care and deliver more services closer to home. Services will be delivered by gynaecologists, urologists, specialist nursing and allied health support under the one roof, making it easier for women to access specialist care for conditions including endometriosis, pelvic pain, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), perimenopause and menopause.
The announcement coincides with the opening of the Women’s Pain Survey, which is seeking the views of women and girls who have experiences with pain and accessing related services.
Seeking a wide range of views, the survey is also calling on clinicians and healthcare workers to help identify areas where the health system and services can be improved.
The findings will contribute to the ongoing Inquiry into Women’s Pain, adding to the insights from Victoria’s recent nation-leading health report, Listening to Women’s Voices. This confirmed what women already know: their health and pain are real and regularly overlooked, with 40 per cent of Victorian women living with chronic pain.
Ms Thomas said that the new clinic will make a huge difference, delivering affordable and comprehensive healthcare for every woman, no matter her postcode.
“With the new clinic at the Northern Hospital, women across our community will soon be able to access the specialist care they need, closer to home,” Ms Thomas said.
