Integrated Sexual Health Service

Description

The Service will support the delivery against the 5 main sexual health Public Health Outcomes Framework measures:
• under 18 conceptions
• chlamydia detection rate
• new STIs diagnosis (excluding chlamydia in the under 25s)
• prescribing of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) excluding injections (females aged 15 to 44)
• people presenting with HIV at a late stage of infection.
The objectives of the service will support the improvement of sexual health outcomes:
• Promoting good sexual health through primary prevention activities including condom use, vaccination, the sexual health aspects of psychosexual counselling, HIV PrEP, behaviour change and those which aim to reduce the stigma associated with STIs, HIV and unplanned pregnancy.
• Providing rapid and easy access to open access STI and BBV testing, treatment and management services through a variety of mechanisms which should include remote and online services.
• Providing rapid and easy access to open access reproductive health services including the full range of contraceptive services; supported referral to NHS funded abortion services (based on up-to-date knowledge of local contractual arrangements for abortion services including late gestations and those with comorbidities); and support in planning for a healthy pregnancy; through a variety of mechanisms which should include remote and online services.
• Reducing late diagnosis of HIV and undiagnosed HIV and improving the sexual health of those living with HIV.
• Providing a quality service with an appropriate mix of correctly trained staff, clinical governance and service user safety arrangements.
• Being responsive to local need by (a) providing rapid response to outbreak management; and (b) through continuous improvement and response to local population need.
• Operating as a leader in the local sexual health economy providing clinical leadership, involvement in local networks and development of clear referral pathways between providers.