From The Sunday Times
May 25, 2008

NHS ordered to end care bias against men
Sarah-Kate Templeton, Health Editor

The equality watchdog has ordered the National Health Service (NHS) to take urgent action to end anti-male discrimination in healthcare.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), headed by Trevor Phillips, has written to strategic health authorities warning them to ensure that doctors and hospitals in their areas give equal priority to men and women.

The commission has legal powers to issue compliance orders to NHS trusts that persistently fail to provide equal care for men.

While the commission does not cite specific examples of discrimination, it details evidence of poorer male health. Other groups have pointed to male-unfriendly surgery opening hours.

Men are twice as likely as women to die from the 10 most common cancers that affect both sexes and, typically, develop heart disease 10 years earlier than women. Men under the age of 45 visit their GP only half as often as women and are less likely to have dental check-ups.

On average, men die five years younger than women and 16% of men die while still of working age compared with 6% of women. Men are also three times more likely to commit suicide than women.

A new law, the gender equality duty, which came into force in April 2007, obliges all public services to ensure they care for both sexes equally. In March, Phil McCarvill, head of public service duties at the EHRC, sent warning letters to strategic health authorities, the bodies which manage local NHS trusts.

McCarvill said: “We are writing to you specifically regarding the gender equality duty in response to particular concerns raised with us by the Men’s Health Forum and the action we want you to take in response to this. We will view the failure to take any action as a result of this letter as a breach of your legal responsibilities in this area.”

Research carried out by the forum found that men were unhappy with the service provided by their local GP surgeries. The forum points out that since men are twice as likely as women to work full-time and three times as likely to work overtime, it is more difficult for them to see doctors during conventional opening hours.

Other experts have pointed to the fact that, while there is a national screening programme for breast cancer, there is no equivalent yet for men for prostate cancer, although it claims a similar number of lives. Women are also screened for cervical cancer.

Peter Baker, chief executive of the Men’s Health Forum, said: “The GP model doesn’t work particularly well for men, particularly young men aged between 16 and 45 who GPs tend not to see unless there is something very seriously wrong with them. There is discrimination because these services are being underused by the group with the greatest need.”

The forum also suggests trusts offer health checks in venues frequented by men, such as work-places or sports clubs.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We would like to offer our heartiest congratulations to Montgomery Family Crisis Centre who have opened their dedicated men's refuge.

As far as we are aware. this is the first in Britain; certainly we have not been informed of any other. Previously there were about eleven places scattered about England and Wales where rooms were sometimes available to men if women were not occupying them, but the dedicated work of the MFCC is a real breakthrough.

For many years now surveys have proved that a large number of men suffer domestic violence at the hands of their wives and partners, but government, charities and the media have turned a blind eye to the problem. The Montgomery Family Crisis Centre acknowledges the problem AND ARE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

They have many referrals from men from all walks of life and of all ages. The following quote from their publicity is startlingly refreshing in its honesty and shows that they have a complete grasp of the situation:

"MFCC receive calls from factory workers, police, social workers, etc. Domestic Violence has no class distinction. Domestic Violence has no boundaries. MFCC recognise how hard it is for any person experiencing Domestic Abuse to ask for help and support. Society forces a man to be macho, the bread winner, never to cry! MFCC are aware of how demoralising, degrading and in many cases life threatening all this can be. It is no different for a male victim of Domestic Violence than a woman.

MEN need support - MEN need safety - MEN need counselling - MEN need assistance to see their children - MEN need to rebuild their confidence - MEN need to find a new home - MEN need help full stop!

SO DO YOU LIVE WITH A BULLY? If so, MFCC provide the following service. All contacts made are confidential. MFCC offer encouragement to determine your own future, rebuild your confidence and self esteem and assist you to take decisions for you and your children. MFCC will support you when visiting courts, solicitors and any statutory or non-statutory organisations. MFCC can offer counselling, floating support and community visits. MFCC offer counselling sessions or just a chat."

THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR ANY OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED.

Contact: MEDA LINE (Men Experiencing Domestic Abuse) 01686 610391 (Helpline/Appointment) of for further information.
email: meda@familycrisis.co.uk

If this office is closed a duty worker can be contacted on our 24hr helpline 01686 629114.

Main office: Unit 2, St. Giles Technology Park, Newtown, Powys, SY16 3AJ The Welshpool office is at 8 Broad Street, Welshpool, Powys. Tel: 01938 554677

The Community Office is at: 321 Violet Close, Newtown, Powys, SY16 1LD

Registered Charity No: 511196

A CONSIDERATION OF DOMESTIC ABUSE AGAINST MEN
by
Ley Barden

I am currently a student studying a Social Work MA. I began this course around six months ago, and am positively amazed at how much I have learned already. Such learning however, has taken place not just through reading research papers and text books alone (whilst these have helped), but it is more that the experience that I have had so far has allowed the words that I have been reading to jump from the page and come alive.

   The experience that I am mainly talking of here began about four months ago when I was asked to work in a group and complete a community project. The project was to focus on domestic abuse and to gain information surrounding the support that was available locally; this was then to culminate in a presentation at the end of the investigation.

    The task was split four ways, and I asked to research the experiences of men. I very quickly discovered that this was no easy feat, and found that I really had to widen my search further; I had no other choice but to look nationwide. My inquires very quickly opened my eyes; not only was there a great difficulty in finding such support, but I also gained the strong impression that certain evidence was successfully being ‘swept under the carpet’.

   Despite the difficulties that I have encountered, I must mention, in contrast, the amazing people who have helped me to learn and to see more. I have found myself so many times thinking ‘if I were a man needing support, these would be the people I would need’. It is because of this experience that I now aspire to think, and act, in the way that they do. I now find myself full of passion and commitment to this somewhat hidden issue, and would like to contribute (in any small way I can) to bring it into the light and subsequently to play a part in creating positive change.

    On Friday 7th March 2008, I was lucky enough to be asked to attend and speak at a presentation for the University that focused on domestic abuse. I was asked to speak alongside the police liaison officer and University tutors, and I focused my attention on the experiences of men. Prior to this presentation I felt nervous and, if I’m honest, a little out of my depth. I was not going to let this stop me though, and I sat down and read through the research and writings that I had been given. Well, as they say, ‘knowledge is power’.  Some of the readings included: ‘Piercing the Fog’, ‘Male Victims of Domestic Abuse: The Challenge for Government’, ‘The Condition of Men in the UK 2007/08: Domestic Abuse Research and Statistics’, ‘HORS 191’, and ‘Modern Urban Myths’.

   I realised that one way to heighten awareness would be to utilise the facts found in my research and so I constructed a quiz. Questions centered on funding for men, numbers of refuges/rooms, and types of abuse were placed alongside the same questions centering on women.

   On the day of the presentation, I armed myself with the quiz, copies of the papers mentioned above, and some pictures that to me illustrated the ‘sewn in’ nature of the issue (for example pictures that are supposed to be funny), and set off! I arrived at the venue (a room at the university) feeling very anxious, but determined nonetheless. I was greeted by the police domestic violence liaison officer and a tutor, and sat down facing the audience. Most of the 20 or so attending the presentation  worked for either children and families or mental health teams.

   The police woman took her place and began to speak of cycles of abuse and the ways in which the police support victims of abuse. However, her default position was that of the woman; she did on occasion look slightly awkward, turn to me and say things like, ‘Well of course that may also apply to men’. Despite this failing, on the whole she was good. I continued to await my turn.

   When it was my turn to speak, I began by briefly talking about the current discourse surrounding domestic abuse and the experiences of men. I handed out the supposedly ‘comedic’ pictures, without being too graphic. The illustrations were of men that had been abused by their partners with a short ‘quip’ written at the bottom of the page. This seemed to work well, as the ‘audience’ seemed to be very pensive after I asked them what they would be feeling if the pictures had been of a woman.

   I was very pleased as the presentation quickly turned into more of a seminar, and became interactive. I most certainly did not in any way want to be viewed as an expert on this matter, and discussion helped this.

   Next I handed out the quiz; at best each person had answered only 2 questions correctly of those that centered on men; they were in short, shocked; not just that they didn’t know the answers; to be honest I didn’t expect that they would, but shocked at the lack of recognition. I heard whisperings like ‘I never realized…’ ‘You just don’t think do you, that something like this could be so hidden…’ ‘Can you believe the government don’t really recognise this?’ There were many more comments but these were the ones I noted.

    Some more discussion followed this centering on the reasons why men may find it difficult to gain support: expectations of society, and funding were the main issues discussed. Before I knew it nearly two hours had passed, nearly double the time I had been allocated. I had checked on the time but I was urged to continue. I really feel that all those who took part in the seminar/presentation really took so much from it, and everyone left talking about what we had covered.

   As people were leaving I mentioned that I had saved all the research (mentioned above) on a file and that I would email it to all who wanted it; everyone seemed really enthusiastic about reading it, and all left their email addresses. Also all my leaflets and things that I had been given to distribute were snapped up to be used in practice. One person asked for some contact details as she, like me, now wants to research this issue for her thesis.

   I am now so enthusiastic about continuing this, and have been asked to do this presentation again for the first year Social Work students, and also for the team members on my new placement, the Children and Families Assessment Team. I really am so enthused by the response that I had, and would urge other students to contribute to raising awareness of this issue.