Funding fears for teenage pregnancy services in South Birmingham amid PCT "red risk"

NHS South Birmingham’s board papers show that learning mentors in nine “priority schools” in the past term have supported over 150 young people and 11 parents, and ran or supported over 150 sessions in schools, which is a significant increase on the previous term.

However, they are referring fewer pupils to the Targeted Youth Support Team at the City Council over the last term, “probably due to concerns about the capacity of this team to provide support”.

The papers say: “There is wider concern regarding the future of this team, which is uncertain due to the financial cuts at Birmingham City Council and the axing of the teenage pregnancy grant funding from central government.”

At the same time, the PCT has listed teenage pregnancy as one of its top risk areas for 2010-11 and given it a “red” risk rating.

Its vital sign target, set in 2009, was to reduce conception rates to 29 per 1,000 females aged 15 to 17. However, the most recently published figures put the rate at 49.2 per 1,000 females aged 15 to 17.