Research co-produced with child sexual abuse survivors wins prize for improving quality of sexual healthcare

A collaborative project working with child sexual abuse survivors to improve their experiences of sexual health services has won a prestigious British Medical Association (BMA) prize.

At a ceremony on 31 October, Dr Jane Meyrick, Associate Professor of Health Psychology at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), and Dr Michelle Cutland from The Bridge Sexual Abuse Referral Centre (SARC), University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) were presented with the 2023 BMA MEDFASH prize. They accepted the prize on behalf of the collaboration, including The Green House, the specialist support service for young survivors of child sexual abuse and their families in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset, and North Somerset.

Through Bristol Health Partners Sexual Health Improvement Health Integration Team (SHIP) HIT, researchers worked with service providers in partnership with survivors of child sexual abuse to identify changes that could be made to the patient pathway to improve sexual health follow-up for patients, parents, and health professionals.

The partnership work resulted in a new patient pathway for The Bridge SARC in Bristol into local sexual health services for our children and young people, designed through supported engagement with The Green House’s Voice Group of young survivors. The redesigned and co-created pathway has been in use since January 2023.  Improvements will be captured through a similar collaborative evaluation and will be survivor led.

Find out more about the project and its outcomes

Dr Meyrick said:

“We are over the moon that the importance of survivor-led work has been recognised and the young people in the Voice Group have seen their input produce real world change.

“We are pleased to accept this prize on behalf of all the organisations and individuals involved: the team working with the Voice Group, Dr Rae Adams, Hope Barraclough and Ali Avery, and the organisations enabling the work to happen, UWE Bristol, The Bridge SARC and The Green House, through funding from UHBW and the SHIP HIT.”

About the BMA MEDFASH prize

The BMA MEDFASH prize is awarded every year for work which aims to improve the quality of HIV and/or sexual healthcare from across Britain.

MEDFASH was an independent charity dedicated to improving the quality of HIV and sexual healthcare that ran from 1987 to 2016. The vision of MEDFASH was for everyone who needed it to be able to receive high quality, evidence-based sexual health and HIV care, including preventive interventions.

To continue the legacy of MEDFASH, the BMA Foundation awards a prize named after to an organisation or initiative exemplifying MEDFASH’s mission and values.