April - June | 2018 odernising Sexual Health Services: M
Essex leads the way in integrated sexual health services There’s a quiet revolution going on across Essex, where thanks to the county council’s vision and foresight sexual health services are now easier and more straight-forward for people to access. Three years ago Essex County Council set out its requirements for a more modern and efficient sexual health service for people living in the local authority area. In April 2016 Essex Sexual Health Service (ESHS) came into being. Previously, there were five separate sexual health services within the county council footprint. Now there is just one. The contract for the new single service is led by Provide CIC, working with a collaboration of organisations including Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, HLP Limited, SH:24, Brook and Terrence Higgins Trust.
A full range of sexual health services ESHS provides a free, confidential, non-judgemental service to the people of Essex regardless of sex, age, ethnic origin and sexual orientation. This is provided in a number of ways, Services offered include: Testing, treatment and onward management of sexually transmitted infections
depending on the needs of the service user – information, advice and appointment booking via ESHS’s Intelligence Centre on 0300 003 1212; Test at Home; clinic attendance; or referral to other services.
Delivering an integrated service One of the distinguishing features of the new service is that it is much more joined up – and integrated than ever before. ESHS staff are fully trained and competent at a core level in sexually transmitted infection management; contraceptive care and contraceptive needs; and in sexual health education. Kez Spelman, Clinical Contract Manager for Essex Sexual Health Service, says: “This isn’t just about bringing service areas together under the same roof, as some providers are doing. It is about developing and delivering integrated sexual health practice – where the majority of sexual health and contraceptive needs can be met by a single health professional in a single contact. “Of course, there are occasions where a second opinion or follow-up is required. However, we are proud to have developed the expertise in our workforce to be able to manage the majority of contacts effectively and safely by seeing one person, at one place and at one time.”
Kez Spelman
‘Test at Home’ online service for HIV, Chlamydia, Syphilis and Gonorrhoea Chlamydia screening Pregnancy and abortion support All forms of contraception Deep implant removal Emergency contraception
To get in touch with the Essex Sexual Health Service:
www.eshs.org.uk 0300 003 1212 (Monday to Friday 9am-5pm) provide.essexsexualhealthservice@nhs.net
General sex advice, counselling and support
www.eshs.org.uk | 0300 003 1212
@ESHS.Essex
@Provide_CIC PNL-2629-1815-01
April - June | 2018
A Sexual Health Calling:
ESHS Intelligence Centre, St Peter’s Hospital, Maldon.
Essex Sexual Health Service’s contact centre aims to put callers at their ease. Tucked away in the grounds of St Peter’s Hospital, in Maldon is a small but busy contact centre for the Essex Sexual Health Service. Built in the 1870s, this 9’ x 20’ room was once part of a Victorian infirmary. Today it accommodates the sexual health service’s contact hub, otherwise known as the Intelligence Centre. Here, size certainly isn’t everything! For the Intelligence Centre is home to a small team of just eight trained and motivated support workers, dealing exclusively with people’s sexual health needs.
Sexually transmitted infections • Contraception • Prevention and Education People call or email in for a variety of reasons, including concerns they may have a sexually transmitted infection (STI); thinking they might be pregnant; that they have forgotten to take their pill; or have had sex without a condom.
The centre was set up in 2016, in response to Essex County Council’s desire to reduce the complexity in sexual health service provision - and to make as easy as possible for people living in the Essex Local Authority area to get in touch and discuss their sexual health needs. Georgina Wood, Intelligence Centre Team Lead, says: “Sex is part of people’s lives and relationships. So, it is important that everyone is able to talk about sex and seek advice or help if they have any concerns. “Crucially, for people who might struggle to walk into a clinic to discuss their sexual health concerns, the Intelligence Centre allows people to make initial contact with the service without having to go into a health centre or clinic.” Georgina Wood
Two years on and the Intelligence Centre is thriving. Last year the centre received 50,000+ calls and emails. And at peak times, the team can take more than 300 telephone calls a day.
www.eshs.org.uk | 0300 003 1212
Some of the Intelligence Centre team. Emily Shipp, Support Worker in the Intelligence Centre, explains: “People phone in to ask questions and find out their options. “After going through telephone triage, answering some questions about their circumstances and sexual health needs, we can establish the next step. For some people that might be making an appointment to attend a clinic in a community health centre or other location. “For others, a conversation with an Intelligence Centre support worker might provide all the information and support required. Or there might be onward signposting to other sexual health resources, such as ESHS’ online Test at Home service or community pharmacies.”
@ESHS.Essex
@Provide_CIC PNL-2629-1815-01
April - June | 2018 xpress ‘Test at Home’ Kits for E
STIs Gets Thumbs Up
An at home STI self-testing initiative has been given a resounding thumbs up by service users – who have been leaving positive feedback about their experiences. The free Test at Home service allows people to order STI tests via their phone or computer, 24 hours a day, with the majority of results returned in just 72 hours. The service has become increasingly popular since it was introduced in April 2016 – catering for the growing number of people looking for information online. The service is free, swift, discreet and high quality with full connection to, and back up from, the Essex Sexual Health Services team. Some of the comments received about the service: It’s really helped me feel normal about wanting to check myself…I was super nervous before, but the service has helped me to realise it’s all about my health! Really helpful to be able to test yourself without awkward opening times or stigma of going into a clinic, quick results too. Avoids all embarrassment of having to go to a clinic. I was too worried to go to doctors so this was a brilliant idea. The service allows for fast, accurate and discreet testing for HIV, Chlamydia, Syphilis and Gonorrhea. Users return their samples directly to the laboratory in the secure packaging provided – with results notified via email or text. Test at Home kits are available free of charge to people living in the Essex County Council area – and can be ordered from the ESHS website. For more information about www.eshs.org.uk Test at Home visit
Reduced Wait For Test Results
50%
Reduced average = waiting time
Waiting for the results of a sexual health test can be a worrying time for service users, their friends and families. Happily, lengthy waits are less of an issue in Essex, where people being checked for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, HIV and Syphilis are benefiting from a much speedier results service. Since moving to a single pathology laboratory to manage its tests, in October 2017, the service has been able to reduce the average wait time for test results – by 50%. The majority of clinic test results are now delivered in four days, as opposed to 8+ days under the previous system. Meanwhile, people using the service’s Test at Home option typically receive their results even quicker. Most results are delivered in 72 hours of people returning their samples. Dr Malaki Ramogi, Clinical Lead for the Essex Sexual Health Service, said: “We are delighted to be able to provide a quicker turnaround for test results. This is great news for people who are waiting for their test results – and for the service generally, as the whole process (from printing labels to linking tests to the electronic patient record) is generally smarter and more efficient.”
Dr Malaki Ramogi
I f you would like to talk to someone about STI testing, in confidence, please contact the Intelligence Centre on 0300 003 1212 to speak to a member of the team to discuss your options. Alternatively, you can order a Test at Home kit. www.eshs.org.uk to find out more. Visit:
www.eshs.org.uk | 0300 003 1212
@ESHS.Essex
@Provide_CIC PNL-2629-1815-01
April - June | 2018 nline sexual health services double O
number of people getting STI tests, study finds.
Sexual health update sessions Free sexual health update sessions are being held across Essex, to inform and support people working in primary care and other services. Organised and delivered by the Essex Sexual Health Service, the next meetings are planned to take place in:
Offering sexual health testing online results in twice as many people getting checked and subsequently diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI), researchers have found. A clinical trial in Lambeth and Southwark, led by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and King’s College London, directed more than 2,000 people to the online service which offers home testing kits, testing service or a list of local sexual health clinics. Fifty per cent of the e-STI testing group got themselves tested during the trial, compared to 26.6 per cent in the group who were directed to attend a physical clinic. This could be down to online services being more discreet. Dr Caroline Free, one of the researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “Sexual health clinics play an important role in community health but some people may find them inconvenient or stigmatising, which can stop them attending.” STIs remain a global public health concern, with an estimated 357 million new infections of curable STIs each year. In England there were more than 400,000 new diagnoses of STIs, and 5,684 new cases of HIV, in 2015.
Chelmsford: Tuesday 19th June 2018 from 13:00-17:00 at Hylands House, Chelmsford Colchester: Tuesday 9th October 2018 from 13:00-17:00 at Mark’s Tey Hotel Each of the sessions will include a service update, an STI and contraception review and a specialist training session on a relevant sexual health topic. There will also be the opportunity to find out more about how the sexual health service is working in your area and meet members of the Essex Sexual Health Service team. The update sessions would be useful for professionals with an interest in sexual health; those working in formal and informal education and young people’s services; and staff from primary care settings. Further details will be confirmed with all attendees. Refreshments will be provided. Register your interest now: If you are interested in attending, please get in touch to let us know as soon as possible, as spaces are limited. provide.essexsexualhealthservice@nhs.net. with your name, organisation, position and location of your preferred session.
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As lead provider for Essex Sexual Health Service, Provide CIC is proud to be working collaboratively with a number of other organisations to deliver sexual health services in Essex.
www.eshs.org.uk | 0300 003 1212
@ESHS.Essex
@Provide_CIC PNL-2629-1815-01