Domestic abuse and sexual violence survivors to get specialist NHS help

Domestic abuse and sexual violence survivors will have access to specialist NHS services across England, the government has announced.

As part of Labour's manifesto pledge to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade, a new referral service will be launched to connect victims with specialist help through their GP. The "steps to safety" initiative will be launched in every area of England by 2029 to "end the postcode lottery" in support for victims and survivors, the government said.

GP practice staff will also be offered training in all regions so they can better identify and respond to domestic abuse and sexual violence. Child sexual abuse survivors, both boys and girls, will also have access to specialist "trauma-informed care" based on the "child house" model.

This is where different agencies, including police, health, social care and therapy services, are brought together to provide coordinated support for the child and their family. It means children only need to share their experiences once, rather than reliving their abuse through repeated interviews with different agencies.

Based on US and Icelandic models, there is currently only one in the UK, the Lighthouse in north London, but the government said it will expand the model to all NHS regions in England. They will be funded by up to £50m from the government.

Last week, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced specialist investigation teams for rape and sexual offences will be created across England and Wales. The use of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs), which have been trialled in several areas, will also be rolled out across England and Wales.

They are designed to target abusers by imposing curfews, electronic tags and exclusion zones. The orders cover all forms of domestic abuse, including economic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour, stalking and 'honour'-based abuse.

Breaching the terms can carry a prison term of up to five years. Read more:Violence against women and girls grows despite government strategies Nearly £2m will also be spent funding a network of officers to target offenders operating within the online space.

Teams will use covert and intelligence techniques to tackle violence against women and girls via apps and websites. Ms Mahmood called violence against women and girls a "national emergency" ahead of unveiling the government's VAWG strategy on Thursday, after being delayed three times this year..