Agenda item

Laura French, Consultant in Public Health, will provide an overview of the process of recommissioning of sexual health services in Leicester and a review of a recent consultation exercise.

The Public Health Consultant presented the findings of the Sexual Health Services Consultation and it was noted that:

·       The previous contract ended on 31 March 2024 having been extended through the pandemic.

·       The new contract started on 1 April 2024 and has been awarded to the same provider– The Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust.

·       The major difference was that the City have procured this independently of Leicestershire or Rutland due to the service requirements needed by the populations in each area.

·       There is a national specification framework for sexual health services, but the consultation was to ensure that services met the needs of communities in the City. The aim was not to make substantive changes to the model as it was well thought of by service users and staff, but input was needed about how services could be delivered and how needs could be met of specific communities.

·       This process involved a comprehensive engagement process between January and March 2023 to inform the specification for services.

·       Health inequalities are varied across different stages of the life course and are impacted by various factors – sexual health is part of the health inequalities.

·       Systematic differences in sexual health – Those living with deprivation will be more likely to be living with poor sexual health. Certain demographic groups and areas are also more vulnerable to poor sexual health.

·       The main hub in the Haymarket was well thought of by users, however some clinics have become less used with no apparent reason.

There were 5 key themes identified in responses to the consultation:

1.    Education and training

2.    Beliefs and perceptions around sexual health

3.    Barriers to accessing services

4.    The important of age-appropriate services

5.    Information sharing and signposting.

Following a summary of the consultation responses, it was noted that:

·       There was a keenness for booking appointments online.

·       Most people favour a mix of appointments, including face-to-face services pre-bookable and drop in. It was found that generally older people prefer booking whereas younger people prefer drop ins.

·       The walk-in clinic has been reinstated after being suspended during the pandemic.

·       Further consideration is needed to work with communities.

·       The single point of access is taking longer than hoped due to the procurement process.

·       There has been ongoing work implementing the national women’s health strategy and HIV action plan.

·       A gap was identified in young people representation so a consultation is being devised to feed their views in.

The Chair and members commented that it was an excellent presentation and large amounts of work has occurred to produce it all. As part of discussions, it was suggested that the move to more online services may put off people accessing longer working contraceptives. It was noted that midwives are now being trained to fit contraception to aid in uptake, along with funding for red boxes to educate people in different community and education settings to choose different contraception options. As other ways to reach into communities, it was arranged for a link worker to take some people to walk-in centre as people weren’t aware of where to go for access. Following on from this, a more systematic approach is being considered for accessing communities and community champions have been brought in.

AGREED:

·      The Board thanked Officers for the presentation.