New single-point-of-contact sexual health service: enquiries almost double
Orders for home-testing kits have almost doubled in some places across Notts since sexual health services in the city and county were brought together under one umbrella.
Calls to the new dedicated phoneline for Sexual Health Services Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (SHSNN) – 0300 131 7010 – have also almost doubled since its launch on 1 October, from 7,000 to 11,000.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) is delivering the service in partnership with Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (SFHT), and supported by an online sexual health provider, Preventx. The aim is to deliver a more streamlined, consistent, and easily accessible service.
The free and confidential service – funded and commissioned by Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Council’s Public Health services – has a single, dedicated contact centre telephone number and website, with a link to order discreet home-testing kits.
Home-testing kits are sent to people’s homes in discreet packaging. If a test is negative, the individual is informed by text message; if positive, they will be notified of the result and offered options for obtaining treatment.
Nicola Sanders, General Manager for Reproductive Health at NUH, and Elizabeth Carlin, Service Director for Sexual Health at SFHT, said: “We are delighted that the new sexual health service successfully launched as planned. People are accessing sexual health care at a site of their choice and taking up options that suit them. We are particularly excited about the uptake of online testing, which brings sexual health care directly to local people.
“Our next phase includes developing the sexual health website www.sexualhealthnn.co.uk with engaging, user-friendly information, health promotion, and online appointment booking.”