All sexual health services in Walsall will be centralised at one site from Monday 2 September 2019.
Walsall Integrated Sexual Health Services (WiSH) will be concentrated at the Walsall Sexual Health Clinic on Pleck Road and will no longer operate from the Navigation Street clinic after Friday 30 August 2019 following a revision by Walsall Council of Public Health’s investment in the service.
Last year, the Public Health team worked with Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust ,which provides the service with partners, to seek the views of local service users to understand which clinic slots were most used and establish which services they most valued. In conjunction with the consultation an Equality Impact Assessment was completed.
Jane Hopcroft, Matron and Julie Newton, Care Group Manager said: “Our service users told us that accessibility particularly for young people and vulnerable groups was, understandably, important to them and they also said they feared sexually transmitted infections not being treated; raising the potential impact this could have upon families and local communities in Walsall.
“An action plan has been developed in partnership with Public Health now the savings proposal has been approved and we can reassure service users that a dedicated under 25s clinic session will be available along with two dedicated young people clinics per week in the evening and at weekends.
“Sexual health drop-in clinics will also be held in Walsall College and local schools. And our outreach service that is aimed at our more vulnerable service users such as casual sex workers will continue as we appreciate how difficult it can be for them to access the support they need.
“Sexual health services will continue to be delivered in GP practices through the Public Health Local Commissioned Services agreement. Our WiSH website also contains lots of helpful advice and information including details of how residents in Walsall can order and use home testing kits.”
For more information about sexual services in Walsall please visit https://www.walsallsexualhealth.co.uk/
Walsall Council conducted public consultation to inform its review of investment in sexual health services in Walsall (savings reference number 40) during the period October–December 2018 as part of the wider Budget Consultation 2018/19–2021/22. The final report is available here: Corporate Budget Plan 2018/19 to 2021/22 and Treasury Management and Investment Strategy 2019/20 Onwards