In the past year alone, over at least 15,800 victim-survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence were identified and supported through healthcare settings – a number that represents lives saved, futures reclaimed and cycles of abuse broken. Yet, despite its undeniable impact, IRISi’s evidence-based model is at risk.
The IRIS and ADViSE programmes are changing the landscape of healthcare by integrating specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence support within GP practices and sexual health clinics. But without sustainable funding, these life-saving services could be stripped away, leaving thousands of survivors without the support they desperately need.
Our IRISi Network Report 2023-24 lays out hard facts and clear evidence: this model works. The question is, will decision-makers act to protect it?
Here are 10 robust findings from our last report that prove why IRISi must be sustained and expanded.
1. An estimated 1.5 million women can now access support through IRIS, but millions more are left behind
IRIS has grown exponentially, with one in five victim-survivors of domestic abuse in England and Wales now able to access specialist support through their GP. This is a milestone worth celebrating, but what about the remaining four in five? The postcode lottery for survivor support is unacceptable. We know IRIS works. Expanding it should be a priority.
2. Over 7,000 survivors referred, yet we know this is just the tip of the iceberg.
In 2023-24, 7,234 referrals were made to IRIS and ADViSE programmes, but with domestic abuse and sexual violence at epidemic levels, we know this is only a fraction of those who need support. Every referral represents a survivor given a chance to escape abuse, receive advocacy and access safety. The demand is there. Will the funding match it?
3. Healthcare professionals are being trained to identify abuse, yet too many still lack access to this training.
In the past year alone, over 4,600 healthcare professionals received specialist training from IRISi, learning how to identify and respond to domestic abuse and sexual violence. But without sustained funding, this expertise could be lost, leaving frontline healthcare workers without the tools to help patients experiencing abuse.
This is not just about funding; it reflects a broader responsibility within healthcare and commissioning systems to prioritise violence against women and girls as a critical public health and safeguarding issue.
4. ADViSE has reached 1,000 survivors, filling a critical gap in sexual violence support.
Survivors of sexual violence often feel invisible in the healthcare system. The ADViSE programme is changing that, offering a direct pathway for those experiencing sexual violence to access specialist support via sexual health clinics.
Yet, ADViSE remains available in only a handful of locations, despite clear evidence of need. Survivors should not have to fight for access to support. Decision-makers must step up.
5. The majority of survivors referred through IRIS and ADViSE had never accessed support before
This fact alone should ring alarm bells: most people referred through IRISi’s programmes had never received help before. This means IRIS and ADViSE are reaching survivors who would otherwise fall through the cracks, many of whom are at risk of escalating harm.
If these services are cut, where will these survivors go — and who will recognise what they’re going through? Without these programmes, there’s not just a gap in referral pathways, but in the very act of asking the question and validating survivors’ experiences.
6. 92% of perpetrators are men and gender-based violence is a public health crisis
Our data reaffirms what gender-based violence organisations have long known: domestic abuse and sexual violence are deeply gendered issues. 92% of perpetrators identified in cases referred through IRISi’s programmes were men.
Yet, the health system continues to treat gender-based violence as a side issue rather than a core public health emergency. It is time to prioritise gendered, survivor-centred healthcare responses.
7. Black and minoritised survivors are overrepresented in referrals but underrepresented in accessing support
IRISi’s data shows that Black and minoritised women are more likely to be referred into the programme but are less likely to engage with support. We cannot ignore this. Structural racism and systemic barriers continue to prevent marginalised survivors from receiving the help they need. This is why IRISi’s model of embedding specialist VAWG services within healthcare settings is essential, but it must be properly funded to continue evolving.
8. Survivors need holistic support, not just policing and prosecution.
More than 40% of survivors referred through IRIS and ADViSE sought ongoing emotional support and advocacy, rather than engaging with the criminal justice system. Survivors are telling us what they need: trauma-informed, survivor-centred care within healthcare settings. Yet, funding decisions continue to prioritise criminal justice responses over holistic, health-based interventions that survivors actually use.
9. The model works, but fragmented, short-term funding threatens its future.
This is the reality: IRISi’s model is evidence-based, scalable and cost-effective. But its future is constantly under threat due to patchwork, short-term funding cycles. The instability of funding means some areas lose access entirely when contracts end, leaving survivors without support and forcing healthcare professionals to revert to outdated, ineffective responses.
We do not need more pilots. We need sustainable, national-scale investment.
10. This is a political choice: Will decision-makers protect survivors or abandon them?
The evidence is clear. The need is overwhelming. The solution already exists. Yet, decision-makers continue to underfund and deprioritise healthcare responses to domestic abuse and sexual violence. This is not about whether we can afford to fund IRIS and ADViSE; it is about whether we are willing to let survivors suffer without support.
This is a political choice. It is time to demand action.
What needs to happen now
IRISi’s models works. But without secure, long-term investment, these life-saving services will be lost. Here’s what needs to happen:
- Domestic abuse and sexual violence must be recognised as core health issues.
- Local health commissioners must commit to long-term funding for IRIS and ADViSE.
- The government must ensure multi-year, sustainable investment in healthcare-led interventions.
We cannot allow survivors to be left without support. Join us in demanding that IRISi’s vital programmes are protected and expanded.
