Yvette Cooper pledges £50m to train GPs to spot domestic abuse and treat violence as an NHS epidemic

From the Newshound archive · first published 30 September 2026 · last updated 1 October 2026.

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced nearly £50 million to address domestic violence through the NHS, telling Labour's Liverpool conference that abuse affecting 2.2 million women a year is failing to receive the recognition it deserves as a health crisis. A new scheme called Steps to Safety will enable GPs to refer victims directly to specialist services. Cooper will also install a national clinical lead for violence against women and girls to oversee the issue across health services.

Twelve integrated care boards will share £34.4m to deliver the first phase of Steps to Safety, with GPs trained to ask patients sensitively about abuse.

A further £15m has been set aside for victim support services throughout England, as part of Labour's pledge to cut violence against women and girls by half within a decade.

Domestic abuse commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs welcomed the plan, while adviser Jess Asato said survivors had described 'missed opportunities' when the NHS treated symptoms rather than the cause.