FabSwingers.com forum: Access to sexual health services

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

How is it for you in your area?

Ours used to be nhs, but the contract was put out to tender several years ago and is now run by a private company.

Recent experience of getting seen is that you have to go via the website, register with them to get to the section that says book an appointment online... Which then says booking online is not currently available, and to ring a number to make an appointment.

Ring the number to get a recorded message saying the phone line is not available until after a set time ... You then keep trying at half hour intervals after this time to get the same message, until the phone line is manned at their end for a limited time, to be told they don't give appointments out over the phone, you have to go to the walk in clinic, which is open 3 mornings per week from 8am, and you are told to be there before 8am to be in with a chance.

Turn up at 7.50am, there are 5 in the queue, and by 8am another 10 or so behind.

The queue is on a main street opposite a tesco and central bus stops, so everyone passing knows you are queuing to get in the sexual health clinic because of the sign over the door (this surely has to be a barrier to some, as well as having to be there at a set time with no leeway)

The door opens and they are only seeing 5 people today.

The people in the queue behind are offered an appointment the following afternoon (there were 4 available) and once these were taken up, everyone else was turned away.

This is for everything, contraception included, and is the triage stage. If a doctor needs to look at you, it's another appointment in a weeks time. But at least you get seen then.

This probably looks good on paper, but there will be no record of the people who can't get there by 7.50am to queue up, those who are too nervous to queue outside on a high street, nor those turned away because they weren't in the first 5. They have to try again after the weekend.

By *ewisbi76Man
over a year ago

west edinburgh

This has been partially discussed in another sti testing thread atm on the advice board. i hadnt realised the quality of services, and the way they delivered results, was so different in every health board.

For me near Edinburgh we havent had drop in clinics for 2.5 years now. There were non services at all for a long time and now its all telephone bookings for the central clinic only. if you can't get a booking you can arrange to collect a test kit but only 50 are available on any given day and a friend of mine tried every day for a week without getting one.

My nearest hospital used to have a sexual health clinic but its now a covid testing/vaccination centre, I cant see them reopening the clinic for the foreseeable future. I went for my covid booster and was given the injection in a room that i've previously had a std checkup appointment in.

The services for gay/bi men are better. but ive seen local forums where women are saying they cant get seen at all unless they call continually til they get through. the local nhs website says "your gp can now do most std testing" as if getting a gp appointment was any easier