Sexual health clinics to continue at hospital

Over £200,000 has been allocated by the Western Local Commissioning Group (LCG) to provide additional sexual health clinics (GUM) in both Altnagelvin Hospital and Tyrone County Hospital. The Western Health and Social Care Trust has welcomed the funding which was made available following successful initiatives to reduce primary care prescribing.
Altnagelvin hospitalAltnagelvin hospital
Altnagelvin hospital

Announcing the investment, Dr Ciaran Mullan, Western LCG Chair, said: “With the Western LCG’s investment, the number of core clinics, introduced two years ago in Altnagelvin and Tyrone County Hospitals, can continue. This will ensure that an additional 4,721 new patients and 2,309 review patients can be seen on an annual basis. This means that anyone concerned about their sexual health continues to have greater access to GUM services in the Western Trust area.”

Dr Mullan continued: “Sexual health is an important part of physical and mental health as well as emotional and social wellbeing. Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) have a significant human cost and can have long term effects on people’s lives. In addition, there is a significant financial cost to the health service in managing the consequences of late diagnosis or untreated infection. I am pleased that through robust local commissioning practice we have ensured the continuation of additional GUM clinics provided by the Western Health and Social Care Trust.”