New Report on Sexual Health

News - 23 July 2019

Healthwatch has published a briefing paper that provides an overview of the pressures and challenges facing sexual health services both nationally and in Brighton and Hove.
Healthwatch Brighton & Hove logo, Blue text, Letters E and A replaced with speech marks

Healthwatch Sexual Health Report 

Healthwatch Sexual Health briefing report July 2019

Improving local sexual health services and ensuring adequate provision is a priority for Healthwatch in 2019/20. We are aware that Brighton and Hove has some of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections in the country and that local services face high demand. In response, we undertook research of reports, other publications and data relating to sexual health to try to understand the challenges facing services and providers. This included an examination of national and local funding levels and commissioning of relevant services.

By highlighting the pressures facing sexual health services we hope to start a wider conversation with commissioners and public health to ensure that local services are able to meet current and future demands. We are also aware that our local Council has public commitments regarding ending HIV transmission in the city and it is vital that the services which will deliver these targets are adequately supported.

At the same time Healthwatch acknowledges that there is no single action which will deliver change, but amongst possible actions are: identifying possible improvements to the commissioning process; recasting service specifications to meet needs and determining how best to affect individual behavioural change via the use of targeted marketing and ongoing education.

The evidence used to produce this report shows that:

Locally

  • Brighton has committed at the international level to ending HIV transmission
  • Brighton has very high STI levels, and certain groups are disproportionately affected
  • There is high demand for services
  • Services are introducing novel ways to cope with demand by improving services
  • The current contract for the provision of statutory sexual health services is due for renewal after 31st March 2020.

Nationally

  • Levels of STI diagnoses (not including HIV) are increasing
  • Sexual health services are under increasing pressure due to high demand
  • Funding levels may not be sufficient to meet current and future demands
  • Fragmentation of commissioning may be affecting service provision