Reverend and the Makers’ Laura McClure and Sheffield United Women FC players have joined influential female leaders from across Sheffield to lend the charity their support by appearing in a campaign video titled #NoWomanLeftBehind.
Women play a pivotal role in everyone’s health – from their own health during pregnancy, through to the care they give to others throughout their lives.
There’s a wealth of data which demonstrates the need for improved support for women in Sheffield. Research has shown that the women and girls’ sector is not getting anywhere near sufficient investment. As such, there are social, moral, and economic reasons to invest in tackling women’s health inequalities in Sheffield.
Sheffield Hospitals Charity is scoping projects in three areas to help combat these inequalities:
Maternal health
Support for women with complex needs during pregnancy and beyond, including mental health support.
Charity funding will enable appropriate antenatal classes to tackle some of these issues. The benefits include increases in responsive parenting and improved bonding with baby which can support baby’s brain development, and increased engagement with public services including healthcare and education which help to reduce inequalities further on in life.
Sheffield Hospitals Charity is building on this work to tackle inequalities, with support for pregnant women with more complex lives who would benefit from extra support to get ready for, and care for baby.
Violence against women
Practical and mental health support for female NHS staff who are affected by domestic abuse.
Women in Yorkshire and Humber have some of the highest levels of domestic violence abuse in the country and in 2022/23 South Yorkshire Police had the 10th highest rate across 42 police force areas of domestic abuse related crime.
Sheffield Hospitals Charity are working to develop projects that support NHS staff who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse. These projects will be for female staff across Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Sheffield Health and Social Care and compliment the hundreds of thousands of pounds the charity spends each year to support NHS staffs mental health and wellbeing, training and education.
By looking after the staff and services at the centre of patient care, they’re ready to look after you.
Early cancer diagnosis
Supporting women in the core 20% most deprived areas of the city to access screening, as more than a third of women are missing cervical screening.
The NHS aims to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through cervical screening and uptake of the HPV vaccine.
Sheffield Hospitals Charity is working with GP practices to provide targeted support to local communities in Sheffield with the lowest uptake of cervical screening which falls well below the average rate for England.
More broadly, Sheffield Hospitals Charity fund complementary therapies for people undergoing cancer treatments, vital cancer research, and are investing over £1million in a surgical robot which will deliver some of the 3,000+ cancer surgeries that take place across Sheffield Teaching Hospitals every year.
More info at sheffieldhospitalscharity.org.uk.
