UK can't cope with sexual health needs

By Mareeni Raymond London

The NHS in the United Kingdom is struggling to cope with a rise in sexually transmitted infections, a report by the health committee of the House of Commons has shown. The report says that NHS resources are not being used adequately, despite a rapid increase in diagnosed sexually transmitted infections. Last year the number of people diagnosed with HIV increased by a quarter, while people diagnosed with Chlamydia increased by 10%.

Committee chairman and Labour MP David Hinchliffe said: "I do not use the word lightly, but during the course of the inquiry, it has become plain that with sexual health we are looking at a public health crisis."

The report says that many sexual health clinics are understaffed and use out of date equipment. Despite an NHS "Strategy for sexual health," the report says that sexual health is under-funded.

They say that new guidelines are needed to prioritise sexual health, including decreasing waiting times for patients, who at present may wait up to six weeks to see a specialist. The report recommends better staffing, better sex education in schools, and a national screening programme for Chlamydia to be introduced.

Public health minister Hazel Blears said the national strategy, published in 2001, would deliver improvements. "There is no quick fix but the NHS is working to reverse the upward trends in infections, tackling inequalities and modernising services."

Vivienne Nathanson, of the BMA, said: "The government needs to tackle this issue as the UK is on the brink of a sexual health crisis."