SRS252 - Assessing health inequalities and access to pelvic floor services

Abstract Objectives Pelvic floor dysfunction is prevalent yet under-discussed, disproportionately affecting women and reducing quality of life. Many fail to seek help, particularly those from ethnic communities. The aim was to understand the patients being referred and if demographics are representative of the local population, to identify possible access issues across different communities. Methods This is a retrospective service evaluation across Cardiff and Vale University and Aneurin Bevan University Health Boards. We retrospectively compared Service Users (SU) (n = 549) over a one-month period attending pelvic health clinics (physiotherapy, nurses and consultants) to population data. Data points included age, sex, deprivation index (WIMD). For Cardiff, an additional questionnaire for patients collected data on language, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, employment and educational background. Results CAVUHB: SU deprivation index was representative of the local population. 91.7% of survey respondents identified as White-British, compared to 80% of local population. ABUHB: There was no significant difference in the overall WIMD of SU but older patients (>60 years) attending were less deprived than local population (WIMD median 1028 versus 799; P = 0.003). Younger patients were more likely to be deprived (t = −2.33, P = 0.02) and on logistic regression were more likely to be referred to physiotherapy. Conclusions In Cardiff, there is under-representation of minority groups amongst users, with higher education linked to better access. In ABUHB, there is under-representation of older patients from deprived areas, with younger patients being referred through a postnatal physiotherapy referral pathway. More research into what the barriers are, and how to overcome them is needed.