Hounslow Council Cut Sexual Health Funding By A Quarter
Figures show London-wide reduction despite record use of clinics
Heart of Hounslow clinic
As visits to sexual health clinics reach and all-time high funding locally is being slashed according to figures released by the Green Party in the London Assembly.
Hounslow Borough has seen a fall in spending on sexual health services of nearly a quarter over the last five years with the amount dropping from £4,523,000 to £3,400,000. This percentage drop is higher than the London average.
The new data from Freedom of Information requests and national spending data show that, in total, sexual health service funding from London boroughs has dropped from an average of £176 million in 2013/14 to £148 million in 2017/18, a 16 per cent reduction.
This funding covers prevention education and treatment for a wide range of sexually transmitted infections as well as contraception and advice. The level of cutbacks varies widely between individual boroughs, from a large increase of 77 per cent in Lambeth to a big cut of 48 per cent in Enfield.
Sian Berry says, “Investment in health should be a priority for boroughs, but budgets have been reduced by tens of millions of pounds despite the clear need for contraceptive advice for London’s women and the high number of sexually transmitted infections in the city.
“For some people even asking for help for sexual health problems can be a barrier to accessing services – but the situation is worsening as Londoners are having to compete for appointments or even being turned away from clinics already struggling to meet demand.
“The Mayor must use his influence to convince councils to keep these vital services open and accessible for anyone who needs them. “
Hounslow Council say the reduction is due to efficiency savings and introduction of the new London Integrated tariff.
Councillor Katherine Dunne, Cabinet Member for Communities and Workforce, Hounslow Council, said, “Hounslow Council is one of the few councils in London that has not closed any sexual health clinics.
“We continue to commission an open access fully integrated Sexual Health service from our Local NHS provider West Middlesex Hospital (Chelsea and Westminster Hospital) and they continue to provide services from three sites across Hounslow.
Responsibility for sexual health services was transferred to local authority public health departments in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and funding from central government is being cut back, with £600 million due to be removed from council budgets for public healthy by 2020/21, despite rising demand.
November 11, 2018