LGA responds to STIs report

5 Feb 2020 04:48 PM

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responded to a Terrence Higgins Trust and British Association for Sexual Health & HIV (BASHH) report on how there is now a STI diagnosis every 70 seconds in England 

“Rising demand and increasing attendances at councils’ sexual health clinics, which have reached more than 3.5 million a year, is pushing some services to peak capacity.

“This is why public health funding needs to be put on a more sustainable footing.

“Councils want to encourage and help people to improve their sexual health, but with resources already stretched, there is a real risk of waiting times increasing and patient experience deteriorating.

“Long-term government investment in public health services, including in sexual health, is needed and councils should play a lead role in helping to develop the new Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy.

“The Government also needs to urgently tell councils how much public health funding they will get this coming financial year, when they have less than two months left to properly plan for their services.”

Download the full report [PDF]