York GP warns of potential 'explosion' in sexually transmitted disease

City of York Council has a statutory responsibility to provide such a service, offering things like contraceptive advice and testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as part of its public health role.

But it says council public health budgets have fallen nationally by 10 per cent in real terms in the last ten years – and it needs to ‘do things more efficiently’.

It has launched a consultation about changing the way sexual health services in York are offered, but has made clear these will include ‘staged service reductions’ over 12 months.

These reductions are likely to include a cut in the opening hours of the sexual health clinic in Monkgate – and a cap on the number of STI home testing kits sent out.

York GP Dr David Fair of the Jorvik Gillygate Practice said today he was deeply concerned at the prospect.

“I’m appalled at the potential risk of there being an explosion in the number of cases of STIs,” he said.

York GP Dr David Fair (Image: Supplied)

City of York Council’s director of public health Peter Roderick admitted that, with sexually transmitted infections already on the rise, both in York and nationally, he shared some of Dr Fair’s concerns.

“We are trying to do the best we can locally in the situation we find ourselves in,” he said.

Sexual health services are commissioned and paid for by local authorities under their public health role, rather than by the NHS.

City of York Council pays YorSexualHealth, which is operated by York and Scarborough Hospitals Trust, £1.8 million a year to run the service.

That contract, which was due for renewal this month, has been extended for 12 months. The council is now working with York and Scarborough Hospitals Trust to review the contract with a view to recommissioning it for another ten years - but says ‘some efficiencies’ will need to be made.

A major online consultation has begun at www.york.gov.uk/Consultations – you have until September 2 to have your say.

Mr Roderick said that, while cuts would be needed, by doing these ‘thoughtfully’ it should be possible to mitigate the impact.

One of the key areas likely to be reduced is online STI testing, in which people can order a home-testing kit online, test themselves, and post it back.

There is likely to be a cut in online STI testing in York (Image: Supplied)

This was introduced during the Covid pandemic, Mr Roderick said. But it was expensive – and there was evidence it was being abused.

Some sexually active people were repeatedly ordering testing kits, he said. “It seems they are having unprotected sex, then testing themselves to work out whether they have contracted an STI.”

The maximum number of testing kits sent out is likely to be restricted to just eight a day.

That would then force more people to come to a clinic to get tested, Mr Roderick said: where they could be given advice about using contraceptives.

Under the proposals, the drop-in sexual health clinic in Monkgate, currently open for the equivalent of 5.5 days across the whole week, is also likely to see a reduction in its opening hours of up to two hours a day.

The drop-in sexual health clinic at the Monkgate Health Centre is likely to see its opening hours cut (Image: Google Maps)

But the aim is to have more, not fewer people accessing it, by opening at times that are more suitable for patients, Mr Roderick said.

As part of the changes, there will also be a strong safe sex message promoted as part of the consultation. And there are also plans to provide more free condoms, both in areas such as student unions where there are sexually active populations, but also via a ‘postal condom’ service accessed online.

More free condoms could be provided as a way to promote safe sex in York (Image: Stock)

Dr Fair said he accepted that local authorities were under huge financial pressures.

But he said trying to save money on sexual health services was a ‘false economy’ as it would lead to a rise in sexually transmitted infections.

This would not only have a harmful impact on people’s health, he said – but would also cost more in the long run, because of the need to treat infections that could have been prevented.

• HAVE YOUR SAY in the sexual health services consultation by visiting www.york.gov.uk/Consultations

Saving money - by finding out where patients live

ONE way of saving money on sexual health services in York will be to try to establish where patients live.

York’s public health director Peter Roderick says many people accessing sexual health services in York actually come from outside the city.

That’s partly because York is a tourist city, with something like 8 million visitors a year.

Tourists are not the only non-residents accessing sexual health services in York, however. Some people come into York from neighbouring local authority areas to do so because they are keen to avoid the stigma of seeking sexual health advice where they live.

All such patients will continue to be treated, Mr Roderick said.

But if the council can establish that they live somewhere else in the UK, then it can send the bill for the services patients accessed to their own local authority.