Rushanara Ali visits our Women's Health Hub in Mile End
Our work to improve women’s access to timely, appropriate referrals has been highlighted during a visit from a local MP and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to Mile End Hospital.
Rushanara Ali, MP for Bethnal Green and Stepney, joined several RCOG members to see how the Women's Health Hub brings together expert doctors, nurses and therapists in one place—reducing the need for multiple appointments for patients across Tower Hamlets.
During the visit, the team outlined how the hub ensures that only women needing urgent or specialist care are referred to The Royal London Hospital. Conditions that do not require surgery or specialist intervention are managed either by the referring GP or within the hub itself.
Dr Ishi Bains, co-clinical lead for the Tower Hamlets Women’s Health Hub and GP, said: "We were delighted to welcome the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists team to the Tower Hamlets Women’s Health Hub.
"The visit was an invaluable opportunity to show how collaboration between primary, secondary and community care can result in improved care for women in East London.
Our integrated approach has helped reduce waiting lists at The Royal London Hospital. The RCOG has warned that gynaecology waiting lists continue to grow and that hubs like this remain essential.
Rushanara Ali said: "The RCOG has warned that Women’s Health Hubs remain vulnerable without stable, long-term funding and consistent commissioning. The College is calling on the Government to protect and expand Women’s Health Hubs like the one in Tower Hamlets as a core part of the renewed Women’s Health Strategy—so women can access high-quality, equitable care throughout their lives."
Dr Alison Wright, president of the RCOG, added: "The Tower Hamlets Women’s Health Hub is a genuine bright spot at a time when too many women are still waiting too long for care. It shows what is possible when professionals across primary, secondary and community services come together to design care around women’s needs.
"By bringing multidisciplinary teams into the community, women are assessed earlier and receive the right care at the right time, rather than being passed between fragmented services. This reduces unnecessary hospital referrals and ensures specialist capacity is used for those who need it most.
"Crucially, hubs embedded in local communities have the potential to tackle long-standing health inequalities by improving access for women who have historically faced the greatest barriers to care."
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