Women should not have to travel across London simply to access specialist healthcare or feel their concerns are being properly heard, according to the chief executive of a specialist women’s health provider.
Nicola Aspinall, CEO of London Gynaecology, says bringing specialist services closer to where women live and work is becoming increasingly important as awareness grows around issues ranging from fertility and endometriosis to perimenopause and menopause.
The organisation opened its Richmond clinic last year, extending access to specialist gynaecological care for women across Southwest London and challenging the assumption that expertise is concentrated in central London.
“For too long, women have faced delays in accessing specialist care or have felt that their concerns weren’t being fully heard,” said Nicola.
“At London Gynaecology, our entire focus is women’s health, which allows us to provide dedicated, expert care tailored to each individual’s needs.”
The clinic supports women through different stages of life, from adolescence and fertility through to menopause and beyond, with an emphasis on access to specialist consultants, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing support.
For Nicola, Richmond was an obvious location.
“Richmond offers everything we were looking for,” she said. “It’s incredibly well connected but it also has a strong community of its own.
“People choose Richmond because of its quality of life and we wanted to bring specialist women’s healthcare closer to where women live and work.
“Many people still assume they need to travel into central London to access expert women’s healthcare. One of our priorities is making sure women know they can receive the same high quality specialist care locally and without unnecessary delays.”
Since opening, the clinic has also begun taking conversations about women’s health beyond the consulting room.
Working with Be Richmond Business Improvement District, it is connecting with employers and organisations across the town to encourage more open discussion of subjects which can have a significant impact on women’s working lives.
Businesses within the Be Richmond BID are now being offered complimentary sessions with specialist clinicians, covering subjects including menopause, fertility, endometriosis and nutrition.
Sessions can be delivered in person or virtually and tailored to the issues most relevant to individual workplaces.
It is an approach Be Richmond believes reflects a wider change in the relationship between town centres, businesses and the wellbeing of the people who work within them.
A Be Richmond spokesperson said:
“Women’s health is a workplace issue as much as it is a personal one, and businesses increasingly recognise the importance of giving their teams access to good information and informed conversations.
Having specialist expertise such as London Gynaecology here in Richmond is important, but equally valuable is seeing that expertise being shared with the wider community. Town centres work best when businesses collaborate rather than simply occupy the same postcode, and this is a good example of how that can make a tangible difference to people.”
London Gynaecology is also developing a series of conversations bringing together people who might not ordinarily find themselves discussing women’s health around the same table.
Its inaugural The Table event was held in Richmond this summer, bringing together representatives from healthcare, business and the local community to discuss women’s health, wellbeing and modern life.
Rather than following a fixed format, each event is individually curated by the clinic’s Partnerships Lead Jenna McDonald, with the subject and guest list changing to encourage different conversations.
Further editions are now planned, with Richmond’s business community again invited to take part.
“We’ve been incredibly welcomed by the local business community,” said Nicola.
“The collaborative approach in Richmond aligns perfectly with our own values. We want to be more than just a healthcare provider. We want to be a trusted partner within the community, supporting women through education, awareness and access to expert care.”
That community approach has included awareness campaigns around issues such as perimenopause as well as engagement with employers, organisations and residents.
Richmond has also proved attractive to healthcare professionals, helping the organisation recruit specialist clinicians as the clinic develops.
For Nicola, the longer term ambition is straightforward.
“Our ambition is to become the first choice for women seeking specialist healthcare in the region,” she said.
“We’ll continue investing in our consultant team and services so women can access rapid diagnosis, expert treatment and ongoing support throughout every stage of life.”
For Be Richmond, London Gynaecology’s arrival also reflects the increasingly diverse role of the modern town centre, where healthcare and wellbeing are becoming part of the mix alongside traditional retail, hospitality, professional services and leisure.
And for women across Southwest London, Nicola believes the message is simpler still: specialist care may be considerably closer than they think.