'Stretched' sexual health clinics to reduce hours

Sexual health clinics in York are set to reduce their opening hours in a bid to save money.

City of York Council said it currently spends more on the service than any other authority in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The proposed changes would include limiting orders for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing kits.

At a meeting on Thursday, councillors heard that York's high student population and non-locals being able to use services meant the demand was higher than in other areas.

Executive member for health Councillor Lucy Steels-Walshaw said the council currently spends almost one quarter of its public health budget on the service.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, councillors were told that cutting clinic hours would reduce staffing costs.

Public health director Peter Roderick said the council would look at ways to compensate for the reductions and community outreach would be looked at.

He added they would also look at the system for ordering tests which people can currently request for home delivery.

Ms Steels-Walshaw said sexual education would also be important to try and reduce future demand for services and to keep costs down.

She said: “The reality is that sexual health services across the country are really stretched.”

A one-year extension to the council's contract with York and Scarborough Hospitals NHS Trust to provide the city’s YorSexualHealth service was approved.

The extension comes ahead of services being brought into one all-round offer including advice, STI prevention, testing and contraception, under what is known as a Section 75 agreement.

However, financial challenges and the complexity of the move has meant the changes have had to be delayed for at least six months and potentially up to a year.

The trust has told the council that changes to the service will be phased in gradually over the course of the year extension, which begins in July.

A public consultation on the proposals is set to run from July and the results would then be reviewed by the Trust.

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