With the partnership between Evaro and Clue, the emphasis that the government is placing on women’s health, which is central to the NHS modernisation agenda, becomes clear.
NHS-licensed embedded healthcare platform Evaro has partnered with period and cycle tracker Clue to provide access to NHS-funded contraception directly through Clue’s app.
Users can transition directly from tracking their cycle in Clue to ordering contraception through Evaro’s embedded pharmacy infrastructure – accessing free NHS-funded contraception with free delivery. The collaboration offers an alternative to existing digital NHS services, which are limited to specific postcodes and is the first major cycle tracker to integrate prescription healthcare in the UK.
“Nearly half of UK women can’t access basic contraception and I believe this is a systemic failure that technology can solve,” said Thuria Wenbar, chief executive and co-founder of Evaro.
“This partnership with Clue represents what I call the banking moment for healthcare. Just as we’d never queue at a bank to transfer £20 today, women shouldn’t wait two months for contraception.”
Renewed women’s health strategy
The partnership highlights the emphasis that the government is placing on women’s health, which is central to the NHS modernisation agenda. Last week, it renewed the Women’s Health Strategy to tackle inequalities and improve access to healthcare for women across England.
“Too many women are still subject to a system that doesn’t listen to their experiences or understand their needs,” said health and social care strategy Wes Streeting.
The renewed strategy will set out how the government will take the next steps to improve women’s healthcare as part of the 10 Year Health Plan and, it says, create a system that listens to women’s experiences and tackles the inequalities they face.
As part of the renewal, which will be published next year, the government will look to identify specific barriers in access to healthcare and set out concrete actions to remove them.
“Whether it’s being passed from one specialist to another for conditions like endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the lack of proper pain relief during procedures, or unacceptable gynaecology waiting lists – it’s clear the system is failing women, and it shouldn’t be happening,” said Streeting.
He pointed to steps that the government had already taken to improve women’s healthcare since taking office. Gynaecology waiting lists had begun to fall, he said, and he pointed to the introduction of Jess’s Rule, which was introduced in September.
