But she noted that sexual health was in the government's top six priorities and urged trusts to modernise their services in this field to ensure they could cope with increasing rates of STIs. "The IAG believes that it is essential that strategic health authorities (SHAs) and PCTs recognise that investment now in frontline sexual health services will save them a great deal of money in the future," she added. "Better sexual health services bring benefits for patients as well as delivering cost savings for the NHS by reducing the number of STIs and unwanted pregnancies."
A spokesman for the Department of Health said it was up to individual trusts to meet the sexual health needs of their local populations, and said the government had provided them with more funding in this area than every before. But he insisted: "We are already seeing the extra priority investment making an impact, with more and more people receiving a GUM appointment within 48 hours, gonorrhoea rates reducing and every SHA submitting plans for the roll-out of the national Chlamydia screening programme."
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.politics.co.uk)
