Our work

Since it was established in 2010, the AGC has produced a number of resources designed to support policymakers, commissioners and providers with their different roles and responsibilities regarding contraceptive services.

Position paper on WHS + SRHAP – The Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) developed a position paper in response to the July 2022 publication of the Women’s Health Strategy for England. The paper highlights the welcome foundations included in the Women’s Health Strategy, while outlining the further steps and concrete actions that are needed to see through the commitments in the strategy, including through the development of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Action Plan.
ICS guide – The Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) developed a guide to support ICSs in maximising the current political environment and the heightened focus on women’s reproductive health to redesign collaborative, patient-centred care that can ensure women’s reproductive health needs are fully met, regardless of their age, personal situation, or location.
Securing sustainability briefing – The Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) developed a briefing to provide an overview of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to contraception, and the lessons that we can take away from innovations that were born as a result.
Making the Health and Care bill work for reproductive health, September 2021 – The Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) developed a parliamentary briefing to provide a concise overview of the current challenges in the reproductive health pathways and their implications on women, the existing provisions for public health in the Bill, and detailing the AGC recommendations for how to make the Bill work for reproductive health.
Women’s Health Strategy submission, June 2021 – The Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) submitted a response to the Government’s call for evidence to inform the development of the Women’s Health Strategy. The submission responds to four of the six themes, including women’s voices, information and education on women’s health, women’s health across a life course, and the impact of COVID-19 on women’s health.
Letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on women’s health representation on Integrated Care System (ICS) Boards, March 2021 – The Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) wrote to the Secretary of State calling for a designated accountable lead for women’s health to be mandated on each ICS board, empowered and responsible for driving change and tangible improvements in women’s health, including access to contraception.
Shining a light on access to contraception in England: an overview of 2019-2020 data, September 2020 – The Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) developed a report that sets out the latest data analysis done by the AGC, drawing on nationally-reported datasets, local authority-held information, and insights gained through a snapshot survey of women’s experiences of accessing contraception during the pandemic lockdown of Spring 2020
Evidence submitted to the Health Select Committee, May 2020 -The Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) submitted a response to the Health Select Committee’s inquiry on Delivering Core NHS and Care Services during the Pandemic and Beyond to raise awareness around the crucial need for all women to have access to contraception, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Latest figures reveal government cuts to the public health grant has slashed contraception spending power by nearly a fifth since 2015 – The Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) has published early findings from its 2019 FOI audit of local authorities. The findings reveal continuedreductions to public health budgets over the last four years, impacting women’s access to vital sexual health services
At tipping point – November 2018 – The Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC), on the back of the BBC’s coverage of closures of local contraceptive services over the summer, has published its latest report from an FOI audit of upper and unitary tier local authorities undertaken in summer 2018. The report outlines the AGC’s concern that continued cuts are disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable women in our society, who often rely on the support of high quality, and easily accessible, reproductive healthcare.

Cuts to contraceptive care deepen as new data reveal half of councils closed sites providing contraception since 2015 – September 2018 – The Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) has published its most recent findings from its 2018 FOI audit of upper and unitary tier local authorities. The findings indicate a year-on-year reduction in spending on sexual and reproductive health services and an acceleration in the number of councils reducing sites delivering contraceptive services.
Cuts, Closures and Contraception – November 2017 – The Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) conducted an FOI audit of all 152 upper and unitary tier local authorities over the summer of 2017. The findings show local authority contraception budgets are being cut and that contraceptive care services have closed or are under threat in more than one third of English local councils since 2015, with the pace of closures accelerating.

Private lives, Public health: The changing shape of contraceptive services in England post-2013 – December 2016 – The expert Advisory Group on Contraception (AGC) has conducted an audit of the impact of funding cuts and commissioning reforms on contraceptive services in England by analysing the results of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request sent to all 152 upper tier and unitary councils. The findings show a mixed but worrying picture. While some areas have so far managed to sustain current service provision, there are clear signs that – in line with the experiences of AGC members – full, open access contraceptive care and services are under increasing strain in many places

Contraceptive care pathway infographic – March 2016 – Our simple infographic sets out the ideal contraceptive care pathway and also highlights ways in which women may struggle to access the best contraceptive method for her. The infographic also sketches the way that fragmented commissioning, tightening public health budgets and increasing demand on general practice are impacting on both women and society.

Supporting scrutiny of local contraceptive services – March 2016 – Our paper is intended to support local advocates who want to understand access to contraceptive services in their local area and provides a brief overview of how contraceptive services are commissioned and monitored. The paper also outlines specific questions on 10 key drivers of good contraceptive care to help uncover local performance and to support advocates to ensure that all women have access to the contraceptive care they need.

Response to the Health Select Committee inquiry into the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review on health and social care – January 2016 – Our response to the Health Select Committee’s inquiry into the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review on health and social care covers; the financial impact of cuts to investment in contraception; the consequences of a reduction in funding for contraception; the future of the public health ring-fence.

Response to the Health Select Committee inquiry on public health post-2013 – structures, organisation, funding and delivery inquiry – December 2015– Our response to the Health Select Committee’s inquiry into the impact on public health post-2013 of the Health and Social Care Act reforms covers; the delivery of local authority functions to provide contraceptive services; spending on contraceptive care; holding a case study on contraceptive services and recommendations to the committee.

Response to the Department of Health consultation on local authority public health allocations 2015/16: in-year savings – August 2015 – Our response to the Department of Health’s consultation on public health allocations makes the case for sustained investment in contraceptive care and then answers the specific questions outlined in the consultation.

Sex, lives and commissioning II: A report by the Advisory Group on Contraception on the commissioning of contraceptive services in England – May 2014 – This report presents the findings from the audit and marks the first comprehensive review of what the new commissioning environment looks like for contraceptive services. Using Freedom of Information requests to upper tier and unitary councils in England this report provides a detailed picture of how local authorities are commissioning contraceptive services in England today.

Commissioning high quality contraceptive services – Recommendations to NHS England – February 2014– This document sets out recommendations for consideration by NHS England, as it discharges its responsibility for sexual health commissioning with regard to contraception provided as an additional service under the GP contract.

Commissioning high quality contraceptive services – A guide for local authority commissioners – February 2014 – This guide is designed to support local authorities to allow them to effectively commission the contraceptive aspects of sexual health services.

Commissioning high quality contraceptive services – A guide for clinical commissioning groups – February 2014 – This guide is designed to support clinical commissioning groups to effectively commission the contraceptive aspects of abortion services.

Defining appropriate open-access contraceptive services – August 2012 – Contraceptive services should be open access – ie not restricted to the local GP-registered population only – and available at times which are convenient for users. This thought paper sets out the markers of a high quality, open access, contraceptive service.

Sex lives and commissioning – April 2012 – Findings of an audit of NHS commissioning of contraceptive services in England, undertaken through Freedom of Information requests during 2012. The audit demonstrates that 35% of PCTs had in place some form of restriction on access to contraceptives or services.

Interim quality standard for contraceptive services – October 2011 -Provides recommendations for the quality statements which should be used to benchmark service performance, in the absence of a NICE Quality Standard for Contraceptive Services (currently in development).

Developing PREMs for contraceptive services – May 2011 – Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) seek to capture people’s experience of the care process. This thought paper sets out potential metrics which contraceptive services should consider using to capture and assess women’s experiences in the care of contraceptive services.