Manchester IRIS Project Service Review

We were pleased to read the article on referral to a domestic violence advocate by Malpass and colleagues¹ in the March issue of the BJGP.

We would like to let people know about an Identification and Referral to Improve Safety (IRIS) service user study which took place in Manchester in 2014. It presents evidence from the Manchester IRIS service, which began in February 2012 and by February 2014, had received 169 referrals from 16 general practices across Manchester concerning women who have experienced domestic violence and abuse. The majority of the women interviewed had not disclosed the violence to anyone else prior to speaking to their GP. This independent service review was undertaken by Dr Gillian Granville and captures the experiences of 17 women who accessed the IRIS service between August 2012 and February 2014.

The evidence in the report demonstrates the pivotal role that GPs have in enabling women to disclose domestic abuse for the first time, and their subsequent referral to specialist domestic violence services. There were positive outcomes for women and children through improved mental health, increased opportunities for training and employments, and the ability to begin to take control of their and their children’s lives.

The report, Identification and Referral to Improve Safety (IRIS). Hearing the voices of the IRIS service users is available from: www.manchester.gov.uk/info/200036/domestic_violence/550/get_help_and_advice_about_domestic_abuse/3.

• © British Journal of General Practice 2014