New sexual health hotline started

1:09am Thursday 1st November 2007

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People in Bradford and Airedale will be among the first in the country to get quicker access to sexual health services - thanks to a new single point of contact phone service.

From today anyone who wants help and advice about contraception or sexual health services can call one new number - 0845 002 0021 - to speak to a health professional or book an appointment.

The new Bradford and Airedale contraceptive and sexual health service (Cash) has been developed by Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) in partnership with Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust.

A significant amount of funding has been invested in developing the service.

It brings together all the services currently provided by the PCT such as contraception, cervical smear tests, pregnancy testing and sexual health screening and more specialised services provided by Bradford hospitals' genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic.

Until now people have had to call different phone numbers for a range of services and may have had to wait unnecessarily for an appointment, causing anxiety and worry.

Now people will have the guarantee of being offered an appointment with a health professional within 48 hours if they need to see one.

A team of NHS staff will take calls from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, so people don't have to leave a message or phone back at a later stage.

Callers will be asked some questions to help the team decide what type of help they need. If an appointment is needed this may be at one of several Cash clinics around the district, which are closer to people's homes, or at the hospitals' GUM clinic at Trinity Road, Bradford.

The service is open to everyone, regardless of age, marital status or sexuality and GP referrals are not needed.

All aspects of the service are free, straightforward and confidential, and the staff are supportive and understanding.

Richard Sutton, sexual health services manager for the PCT, who has led the development, hopes the single point of contact will make it easier for people to access the wide range of sexual health services available in the district.

"The Cash service will dramatically change the way people get help with contraception and sexual health issues," he said.

"Bradford and Airedale has excellent services in many different settings but the problem has often been making contact and trying to get an appointment. It can be really off-putting listening to an answerphone message when you just want to speak to someone.

"The new service will give callers the chance to talk through their worries and concerns with a health professional and, of course, book an appointment if they need one.

"We want to make sexual health screening less of an issue so everyone can get tests done quickly and easily, or pick up contraception and advice."

Over the past few months the PCT has worked closely with Dr Sophie Brady, a genitourinary medicine consultant from Bradford hospitals, to help train call operators and develop a system for carrying out assessments over the phone. This partnership approach means better, joined-up services that are tailored to people's individual needs.

Extra funding for local sexual health services also means more nurses will be available in Cash clinics throughout the district. In turn, they will be able to see more people and help make access even quicker and easier.

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