Season 1, Episode 6 Details:
Improving Access to Sexual Health Services with Health Innovation Wessex’s Nicky Smith and Sexual Health and HIV Service’s Rebecca Jones
Listen to the episode:
Episode Overview:
Explore the real stories shaping a more accessible, confidential and compassionate sexual health service in Dorset with experts Nicky Smith and Rebecca Jones. They share practical advice, debunk common myths, and highlight the power of community-driven care, particularly for such a sensitive area of the health service.
Detailed Episode Show Notes:
“Women are 50% of the population, and over 50% of the population in Dorset. So this is a group that just deserves to have appropriate sexual health care.”
Your sexual health is about more than just having sex. It’s a broad, nuanced area, and we deserve access to services which are equally as complex and far-reaching.
Dorset’s health programmes are tackling historic issues like contraceptive fittings, long wait times, insufficient education & outreach, and lack of access.
That’s where the dedication of Nicky Smith and Rebecca Jones is making a REAL impact, creating services that work for every single woman in Dorset.
Join us on ‘Speaking of Women’s Health’ as we break taboos, show how we’re reaching all communities, and share confidential, safe resources for reliable sexual health services.
👤Guest Profiles:
Rebecca Jones –
- Service Manager for Sexual Health and HIV Service
- Dorset Healthcare Foundation Trust
Nicky Smith –
- Innovation Adoption Programme Manager
- Health Innovation Wessex
⏱️ Chapters:
[0:00] – Introductions and Defining Sexual Health Services
[11:55] – Patient Confidentiality and the Importance of Wide Availability
[15:40] – Education, Outreach & Providing Information for Different Communities
[21:45] – The LARC Project & Tackling Myths About Long-Acting Reversible Contraception
[33:20] – Systemic Barriers and What Efficiencies Could Improve Care
[45:45] – Helping Families Understand the Myths Around LARC
[50:20] – Progress & Future Project Plans
🔑Key Themes:
- Expanding Access to Inclusive, Confidential Health Services
- The Power of Education and Outreach
- Addressing Myths and Cultural Barriers
- Community Voices Shaping Our Services
- Innovation and Ongoing Improvement
📖 Resources Mentioned:
- Women’s Health Support in Dorset: https://ourdorset.org.uk/women/
- Dorset Sexual Health Service: https://sexualhealthdorset.org/
🔗 Connect with us:
Nicky Smith, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicky-smith-7120002bb/
Marianne Storey, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-storey-46938435/
Anjali Mavi, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjali-mavi-66a5a86/
Dorset Women CIC Website: https://dorsetwomen.org.uk/
Women’s Health Support in Dorset: https://ourdorset.org.uk/women
🎯 Action Items for Listeners:
- Visit the Our Dorset Women’s Health website for evidence-based health information.
- Share the podcast and website with other women in the community.
- Share your experiences and feedback through the Dorset Women’s Health online resource to help improve services.
- Encourage ongoing conversations about women’s health – including men and family members – to help break down myths and support each other.
💡 Top Quotes:
1:50 – Nicky Smith:
“At the heart of everything, obviously, was the women of Dorset. How I could support the teams to enable that – to make a difference for Dorset.”
10:40 – Rebecca Jones:
“One of the feedbacks that we get from our patients is about how all our staff are so welcoming, non-judgmental, so friendly and just understanding… it’s a big deal to come in, take some of your clothes off and have to have an examination, so the more we can do at one appointment, the better.”
13:10 – Rebecca Jones:
“If anyone comes to our service, it is completely confidential. If someone doesn’t want us to contact their GP, we will always respect that. Patient confidentiality is paramount.”
16:45 – Rebecca Jones:
“In terms of young people’s RSE (Relationships and Sex Education), we’ve got a team, our SHEOS team (Sexual Health Education Outreach Team). They rebranded this year because they wanted education to be the key part, and that’s their primary focus.”
25:40 – Nicky Smith:
“We had six sub-projects, and from that you can see that sexual health can overlap into so many sub-projects. It’s huge, but by unpicking priorities Dorset Women told us, they helped establish our focus.”
30:55 – Nicky Smith:
“The Dorset Women’s Health online resource does have a long-acting reversible contraception web page dedicated to giving women that evidence-based information.”
35:50 – Rebecca Jones:
“Women are 50% of the population, and over 50% of the population in Dorset. So this is a group that just deserves to have appropriate sexual health care.”
41:35 – Nicky Smith:
“We need to keep hearing your voices. We need your feedback. We know we can’t solve this overnight – we need you to tell us what your experiences are.”
45:20 – Rebecca Jones:
“Lots of people can go to their GP for contraception and other support, but for other more vulnerable groups, they’re the ones that we’re trying to reach. You want to do this Health Needs Assessment to get a sense of who have we reached and who have we not reached yet?”
Transcript: Find the full transcript here. Please note, these notes are AI generated.