A domestic abuse and sexual violence referral service is to be rolled out across ICBs from April 2026, the Government has said in its new violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy.
Published today, the Freedom from Violence and Abuse strategy sets out cross-government actions to better protect women and girls from violence, including steps for healthcare to ensure the support of victims and survivors.
As part of this, the ‘steps to safety’ service will be rolled out across ICBs from April, giving general practices the tools and ability to identify and refer victims and survivors into support services.
The Government added that by 2029 any victim or survivor in England will be able to get the help they need by talking to staff in their general practice.
The strategy added that there would also be a cultural change within the NHS to ‘ensure staff are equipped and supported to respond effectively to VAWG’.
Health secretary Wes Streeting has appointed a new advisor on VAWG to ‘drive further transformation’, MP Jess Asato. She will focus on reducing the negative impact of alcohol on VAWG, embedding VAWG support into neighbourhood health services and improving the commissioning of services.
Ms Asato said: ‘VAWG isn’t just a criminal justice issue, it’s a public health emergency. When we strengthen healthcare systems to identify abuse early, support survivors, challenge perpetrators and address the trauma that fuels cycles of harm, we make communities safer. Ensuring health is not an add-on to prevention; it is a core part of the solution.’
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will also invest up to £50m in services to support victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation.
The strategy said: ‘Under this Government we are expanding the world-leading Child House (Barnahus) model so that children and young people affected by these horrific crimes can access the specialist care they need.
‘Under the Child House approach, healthcare, emotional support and multi-agency expertise are brought together under one roof to deliver joined-up child-centred care that recognises the full scale of trauma and harm.’
Mr Streeting said: ‘Victims and survivors of abuse need more than promises – they need change.
‘No child should also face their darkest moment alone or be forced to relive their trauma repeatedly to multiple professionals.
‘As a service that often has first eyes on abuse victims, the NHS plays a vital role in supporting and treating victims. These changes will put victims first, making sure they have specialist care and reliable support when they need it most.’
Minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls Jess Phillips said: ‘For too long the scale of violence against women and girls has been treated as a fact of life in our country.
‘I am determined our groundbreaking strategy will prevent women and girls from actually being harmed in the first place.
‘But a strategy is just words. And we know words are not enough. What matters is action.
‘Put together, from today, we will deploy the full power of the state to introduce the largest crackdown to stop violence perpetrated against women and girls in British history.’
