Sexual health clinics at 'tipping point' after Government cuts and an increase in demand

Sexual health services are reaching a "tipping point" as demand for clinics increased by a quarter in five years, local council leaders have warned.

Despite the increase in demand for such services council funding has been cut say the Local Government Association (LGA).

The LGA warned that the government cuts of almost 10% to councils' public health budget which amounts to £531 million, could "impact on councils' ability to meet demand and respond to unforeseen outbreaks".

New diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections fell by 4% in 2016, but councils cautioned it would be "extremely challenging" to maintain services at the present level.

Councillor Izzi Seccombe, chairman of the LGA's community wellbeing board, said the impact could see waiting times increase: "While it is encouraging that more and more people are taking their own and their partners' sexual health seriously, we are concerned that this increase in demand is creating capacity and resource issues for councils.

"We are concerned that this will see waiting times start to increase and patient experience deteriorate.

She said it was good news diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were down, but added: "Sexual health services are now reaching a tipping point where it will be extremely challenging to maintain this progress.

"Once again this is an example of councils inheriting the responsibility of public health when it was transferred from the NHS in 2013, but without the necessary resources to deliver services."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "Sexual transmitted infections, including HIV, are continuing to fall and over the current spending period we will invest more than £16 billion in local government public health services.

The spokesman added that there are plans for a major trial involving 10,000 people who will be given pre exposure prophylaxis - a drug designed to reduce the chances of a person contracting HIV.

"As part of the wider national HIV prevention programme, NHSE (NHS England) and PHE (Public Health England) will be launching a major pioneering trial soon, providing PrEP (pre exposure prophylaxis) to more than 10,000 people," he added.